After his impressive win over Israel Adesanya at UFC 293, Sean Strickland has some interesting options ahead. He could face the winner of the Khamzat Chimaev vs. Paulo Costa fight, which promises excitement. There’s also the possibility of a rematch with ‘Stylebender,’ backed by UFC President Dana White. Alternatively, Strickland might choose to settle things in a tough, old-school brawl with Dricus Du Plessis, a unique way to resolve their differences.

In a recent interview feature conducted by Ariel Helwani, Chael Sonnen was asked about potential matchups for Dricus Du Plessis. Initially, Sonnen offered his perspective on future fights and talked about a possible trilogy between Strickland and Adesanya.

Chael Sonnen’s perspective on the Adesanya-Strickland-Du Plessis trio

During a conversation on the YouTube channel “MMAFightingonSBN,” renowned journalist Ariel Helwani and ‘The American Gangster’ Chael Sonnen discussed various topics, including the potential lineup for Strickland and the future of Dricus Du Plessis. Helwani disagreed with Sonnen’s views and expressed “You’re [ Chael Sonnen] saying UFC should do Sean versus Izzy 2 immediately, Paulo versus Khamzat winner gets the winner of that fight, and then what happens to Dricus? Because I actually disagree with you, but I just, I’m curious what happens to Dricus. Is he just out of luck, like, what is he doing?”

Sonnen went on to explain that Sean Strickland’s recent fight serves as a reminder that anything can happen in MMA and no one stands invincible in the octagon. It is not advisable to sit around and wait for opportunities; fighters need to take action. He emphasized that Du Plessis needs more time. Sonnen stated, “The history of the sport tells us anything can happen in there absolutely anything everybody’s got a shot nobody is invincible but we need to be reminded of it. Sean gave us that reminder. But another reminder is it’s not a great idea to sit around and wait and Du Plessis just needs a little bit more time.”

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He further explained that if a rematch between Strickland and Adesanya happened, then it would inevitably raise questions about the possibility of a trilogy if ‘Izzy’ emerged victorious. Sonnen stated that he believes if a trilogy were to happen then it would take at least 12 months. Additionally, they alluded to the upcoming fight between Khamzat Chimaev and Paulo Costa, which could also carry implications for future matchups.

Dricus Du Plessis’s words for Adesanya

In a surprising turn of events, the 29-year-old contender took to his social media platform with a humorous twist, exclaiming, “Looks like @SStricklandMMA and I just pulled off the biggest upsets of 2023. It’s time to settle our differences like true warriors, and I’m all in.”

What followed was a series of pointed remarks aimed squarely at the former champion. He made it clear that he had no intentions of facing an “amateur” version of Adesanya, referencing the lackluster performance witnessed last Saturday at UFC 293. Strickland himself had not minced words, likening Adesanya’s recent outing to that of an inexperienced newcomer to the sport. Interestingly, the top-ranked middleweight contender urged his opponent to take a step back and reflect, suggesting that some time away from the octagon might be in order to regain his former prowess.

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