Morne Visser, coach of Dricus du Plessis (24-3), believes UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland (31-7) will defeat Nassourdine Imavov (17-4) if their expected rematch takes place.
“I think Sean’s got that dialled in. He figured Imavov out and Imavov is way too old. I don’t want to say stubborn but he’s been a veteran in this sport so there’s no way that he’ll change from the previous fight to this fight. He’ll just engage and do whatever he needs to do, try to do what did last time, just better, and Sean knows that. Sean is going to capitalize on it. So, I think our next fight will be Sean,” Visser said.
Strickland defeated Imavov by unanimous decision in their first meeting in January 2023, which took place at light heavyweight after Strickland stepped in on short notice.
Visser believes a trilogy with Strickland makes the most sense for du Plessis if an immediate title opportunity is not available, while dismissing other potential opponents such as Gregory Rodrigues.
Du Plessis holds two wins over Strickland, defeating him by split decision to capture the middleweight title at UFC 297 in January 2024 before winning their rematch by unanimous decision at UFC 312 in February 2025.
Visser believes those previous meetings would give his fighter an even greater advantage in a third fight.
“With Sean the second time, it was just so much easier for us. So, imagine the third time with Sean, how easy that’s going to be because you figure that guy out,” Visser said.
Du Plessis is not currently expected to return before 2027, while Strickland’s next title defense has yet to be officially announced.