Strickland hopes for Du Plessis rematch: 'That needs to be run back'

Former UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland is eager to fight Dricus Du Plessis again.

Strickland dropped the title to Du Plessis UFC 297 in January in a narrow split decision. He tweeted Wednesday that he believes he deserves a rematch since former champ Israel Adesanya was granted an immediate rematch against Alex Pereira in 2023.

"You know I don't care about fight politics or a belt, but it makes me laugh (when) they give Izzy a rematch to Alex after getting slept," Strickland wrote. "I lost a close decision (to Du Plessis) that (UFC CEO) Dana (White) himself thought I won. Everyone did. The stats did.

"That needs to be run back."

White said after the Du Plessis-Strickland bout that he scored it three rounds to two for Strickland, but that he wasn't planning to book an immediate rematch. Strickland, who also said he thought he should've gotten his hand raised, was defending the belt for the first time after upsetting Adesanya at UFC 293 last September.

The UFC hasn't announced Du Plessis' first title defense, though there have been talks of the South African facing Adesanya.