After UFC Saudi Arabia made its dramatically heartbreaking exit, the fighting community waits for the clash between Dricus Du Plessis and Sean Strickland at UFC 312. Well, the previous fight between the two at UFC 297 was a pretty close one. And it was DDP who won via a split decision. But who would win in the rematch? 

To clear out this confusion, we at EssentiallySports asked OpenAI’s ChatGPT to predict the outcome of the headliner fight at UFC 312. And the AI’s response was nothing short of shocking. Let’s see what the artificial intelligence had to say. 

How do Dricus Du Plessis and Sean Strickland’s strengths and weaknesses look?

As per the artificial intelligence, Du Plessis’ strengths lie in his striking prowess. While he may use unorthodox techniques, they are nothing short of effective. His 49% striking accuracy and the record of 6.18 significant strikes landed per minute certainly back the claim about his effective striking. ‘Stillknocks’ loves to put pressure on his opponents. On top of that, he has 50% takedown accuracy, which adds solid grappling skills to his arsenal. The AI also put durability and cardio in his strong suits. 

However, Dricus Du Plessis has a habit of being reckless with his defense. Take his battle against Israel Adesanya, for example. Even though he dominated the Octagon against the former 2-time middleweight champion, he did risk getting knocked out by eating a few of Adesanya’s hits. His record says that he has absorbed 4.85 significant strikes per minute. The AI also made a comment about him slowing down in the later rounds of his fights.

Sean Strickland on the other hand, often used high-volume boxing paired with elite defense, a strong chin, and appreciable cardio. To top it off, he has the ability to handle the pressure inside the Octagon. Well, that’s what gives him the strength to tackle DDP, don’t you agree? After all, he has landed 6.01 significant strikes per minute and has a takedown accuracy of 64%. But a majority of his wins have come from decisions. Reflecting on this, the AI claimed that Strickland’s weaknesses included a lack of knockout power and a bit too defensive gameplay. We did see how this aspect made his fight against Paulo Costa so boring. Moreover, ‘Tarzan’ does struggle a bit against aggressive wrestlers. 

While the stats showed both fighters having an edge over the other, there could only be one winner. And the artificial intelligence had already predicted the winner of the UFC 312 main event. Let’s take a look at the prediction, shall we?

AI’s prediction for ‘Stillknocks’ vs. ‘Tarzan’ 2

OpenAI’s ChatGPT claimed, “In the rematch, Strickland will likely be more aggressive, using his jab to maintain range and avoid Du Plessis’ power shots.” This was based on the fact that the middleweight champion had already found the key to break Strickland’s Philly shell defense. Although it was a tricky business, Du Plessis can certainly find his way around it with powerful shots. 

But for that, ‘Stillknocks’ has to create an opening. And that can be done by bringing grappling into the picture. The AI continued, “If Du Plessis mixes in grappling early, he could wear Strickland down and create openings for big shots.” It’s worth noting, however, that Strickland has worked on his takedown defense and the number is up to 77% now. If going for the finish failed for the fighters, the one thing that would decide the fate of the match will be cardio. 

Both Strickland and Du Plessis have good cardiovascular health. But the proud American has a pretty steady pace when it comes to his fights. This will give him a huge advantage in a rematch against the current MW king. But who would win? ChatGPT predicted that Strickland would become the new middleweight champion at UFC 312. The AI wrote, “Expect a close, high-volume striking battle, with Strickland edging it out on points by staying more defensively sound and landing cleaner strikes.”

Who do you think would win at the main event for UFC 312? Do you agree with the AI’s prediction? Let us know what you think in the debate section below.