OPINION: Does the world really want another Du Plessis, Strickland fight?

It’s official.

South Africa’s “one-man Springbok team” will be back in action in two months’ time.

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis will defend his title against American Sean Strickland in Sydney on 9 February.

Now I suspect the only person who will be happy about this decision is Strickland – who lost the title to Du Plessis via a split-decision at UFC297 in January last year – so he will be keen to get some revenge.

If you go back just a few months, this is the fight that would have the most sense for the South African. But, undefeated Russian Khamzat Chimaev stepped into the conversation when he easily dispatched former middleweight champ Robert Whittaker of Australia.

And, the hype behind the possibility of a fight happening between these two had been gaining traction on social media with Du Plessis and Chimaev trading verbal blows.

“I can’t wait to take your 0” is a message that Du Plessis sent to Chimaev after the Whittaker fight, in reference to Chimaev’s undefeated record.

It is no secret who Du Plessis wanted for his next defence, saying a fight against the Russian was a much more exciting prospect.

But UFC president Dana White had other ideas when he announced over the weekend that Strickland will be next and Chimaev will be in line to fight the winner.

UFC fans took to social media to express their dissatisfaction at the decision.

“Nobody wants to see a one-dimensional Strickland/Du Plessis fight again. Booooo!” one upset fan said on X.

It seems the odds are stacked against Du Plessis who was promised that his next defence was going to be in South Africa and that, too, hasn’t transpired due to a lack of an indoor venue with a minimum capacity of 18,000.

But we all know very well that Du Plessis loves proving his haters wrong and I have no doubt that come 9 February he will be the best version of himself at UFC312 and he will come out at the end with the belt around his waist.

And still …