With both fighters being deceptively difficult to kill, their first encounter back at UFC 297 ended up being a tactical, back-and-forth battle that saw Du Plessis narrowly scrape out a split decision win on the scorecards to become the new champion at 185 pounds.

In the lead-up to UFC 312, former middleweight champion Sean Strickland has firmly dismissed allegations from reigning champion Dricus du Plessis regarding a potential staph infection. The two fighters are set to clash in a highly anticipated rematch on February 8, 2025, at Sydney's Qudos Bank Arena.