The mounting anticipation for the UFC 312 middleweight title rematch between Dricus du Plessis and Sean Strickland has reached fever pitch. And the prediction parade is already in full flow with the latest addition to that bunch being former interim lightweight champion Dustin Poirier. The 155-pound legend recently announced his active discussions with the UFC regarding his swansong this summer in his hometown of Louisiana. While making that announcement, ‘The Diamond’ made his pick on who will emerge as the victor in UFC 312’s headliner.

However, Poirier appeared rather hesitant to answer that question. After a brief pause, ‘The Diamond’ appeared to side with the oddsmakers, who have Dricus Du Plessis as the favorite to still walk out as the middleweight kingpin. Despite giving the American his props, Poirier expects the South African to remain the gold standard at 185lbs, given the kind of run he is on in Dana White’s promotion so far.

“That’s a tough one for me. I keep going back and forth but, man, I don’t wanna say, du Plessis. I think du Plessis is going to win,” Dustin Poirier told talkSPORT MMA. “It should be [close], you know. Sean’s crafty and awkward and weird style to fight. But du Plessis is the champ for a reason.”

Well, Dustin Poirier wasn’t the only one to pick the reigning 185-pound champion. Even Dricus Du Plessis’ former rival, Israel Adesanya, believes the fight is for the South African to win and that’s especially because of his “weird” fighting style. ‘Izzy’ recently declared that ‘Stillknocks’ is the “best sh-t fighter in the world.” Doesn’t sound too bad if the concerned athlete rules the yard in his division.

As we’ve mentioned already, the South African’s fighting style is unlike anything UFC fans have seen before and it has even become a subject of chuckles in the community. However, the last fighter to beat ‘Stillknocks’ appeared to defend ‘Stillknocks’, and doubled down on his bout this weekend. Here’s what he had to say.

Dricus du Plessis’ former KSW rival talks about his fighting style

Before his journey as a middleweight, Dricus Du Plessis fought at welterweight in the Polish MMA promotion, Konfrontacja Sztuk Walki, where he suffered his second career loss. The man who beat him, Roberto Soldic, who competes in the ONE Championship now, mentioned that ‘Stillknocks’ has been using his unusual style for years, even in KSW. He defended Du Plessis’ fighting, claiming that different folks have different strokes, but what matters is the fact that it has proven effective, and he has a hunch that it will prove effective again when he fights Sean Strickland for a second time.

“He is like from that time in my fights, he was dangerous even in 170,” Soldic told Bloody Elbow in an exclusive interview. “Now he’s much bigger, much stronger, he’s an elite fighter,” Soldic added. “Everyone has his way. I went this side, he went that other side and I see he can beat again Strickland. I don’t know why I believe.”

Well, it seems like most fighters and pundits are putting all their money on Dricus Du Plessis, but can prove his mettle once and for all this weekend? That remains to be seen, but in the meantime, let us know your thoughts about UFC 312 title headliner in the comments down below.