Yesterday, the UFC’s middleweight division, which had been quiet for a month, came roaring back to life. A wave of excitement hit when current middleweight king Dricus du Plessis‘ coach, Morne Visser, stirred the MMA community by announcing ‘Stillknocks’s return in February for his second title defense, likely in Australia. Along with the return announcement, Visser hinted at a potential opponent, stating, “My honest opinion is that next in line for us is Robert Whittaker.”

However, later that night, Sean Strickland cast doubt on Visser’s claims, taking to Twitter to criticize head honcho Dana White and the UFC for scheduling a fight in Australia due to Strickland’s issues with the New South Wales government. ‘Tarzan’, who has been eager to secure his next title shot, expressed frustration with the rumored plans, adding more uncertainty to the middleweight division among fans.

Now, amidst all the rumors, Strickland’s coach, Eric Nicksick, came forward today to further dismiss Visser’s remarks during an appearance on the ‘From The Stands’ podcast. He labeled the claims as false, stating, “Yeah, we heard we are next. That’s from Dana. I know Hunter said that Sean had met with him, and, you know, he said we’re next. We’re just waiting on a timeline for when Dricus will be available. The nice thing is that his coach… none of these guys gets a call for that shot.”

Now, with the confirmation from his protege, Sean Strickland, Nicksick has raised further confusion about next year’s UFC Sydney pay-per-view event. Nicksick made it even more puzzling for those already confused by the announcement from Dricus du Plessis’ coach, Morne Visser. Additionally, Israel Adesanya weighed in on this matchup yesterday, claiming that Strickland vs. ‘Stillknocks’ will be next in line for a rematch.

Israel Adesanya predicted the result of Dricus du Plessis vs. Sean Strickland 2.0

Dricus du Plessis’ second title defense against Sean Strickland may yet be announced by Dana White and the UFC, but the hype around the potential matchup is already rising. Even former champion Israel Adesanya can’t hide his excitement, despite coming off multiple setbacks. He first lost his title to Strickland last year, and when he had the chance to reclaim it against du Plessis back in August, he was defeated in a way no one had ever done to him before, by submission.

While speaking on The Adam Carolla Show, when the host asked whom he thought would win if Strickland and Du Plessis squared off again in the octagon, Izzy backed Du Plessis without hesitation, highlighting his “weird” fighting style. He claimed, “They already fought before. I fought both of them. I think Du Plessis might get it done again. He’s just so weird. The way he fights is awkward. He’s stubborn. No matter how tired he gets, he’ll still just throw, just to stop you in your tracks or stop you from doing what you’re doing. And he’ll just throw and hope. It wouldn’t land, but it would stop what you’re trying to progress.”

What are your thoughts on the ongoing scenario in the middleweight division? Who would you like to see compete against the division king, Dricus du Plessis: Sean Strickland or Robert Whittaker? Drop your opinion below.