Strickland returned to the Octagon with an almost inexplicable split-decision victory over Paulo Costa to earn his second shot at the title, and although DDP is considered the favourite and has built momentum since their previous encounter, the American's wealth of experience and strategic fighting style give him a significant advantage.

The war between Sean Strickland and Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 297 left ‘Tarzan’ without the belt and a bloodied face. So, why exactly did Strickland come up short? According to the former middleweight champ,