Dricus du Plessis is set to defend his UFC middleweight title next weekend at UFC 312 against Sean Strickland.

That fight card, UFC 312, is headlined by a middleweight title fight rematch between current champ Dricus du Plessis and the man he took the title from in January 2024, Sean Strickland.

As eager as Chimaev may be for his first UFC title shot, he’ll have to wait for the dust to settle from next weekend’s UFC 312 main event between Dricus Du Plessis and Sean Strickland.

PERTH, AUSTRALIA - AUGUST 18: Dricus Du Plessis of South Africa fights Israel Adesanya of Nigeria in the middleweight championship fight during UFC 305 at RAC Arena on August 18, 2024 in Perth ...

Robert Whittaker (left) shares the key to beating Dricus du Plessis (right). [Images courtesy: @dricusduplessis and @robwhittakermma on Instagram] Former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker ...