In a night full of high-stakes action at UFC 328, Sean Strickland reclaimed the UFC Middleweight championship with a razor-thin split decision victory over Khamzat Chimaev. The fight, held at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, had fans on the edge of their seats as Strickland proved once again why he's one of the toughest competitors in the division.

But perhaps the most intriguing moment came from cageside, where former champion Dricus du Plessis watched intently. "DDP" has a unique claim in this division—he's the only fighter to defeat Strickland not once, but twice. And after seeing Strickland hoist the belt, du Plessis couldn't resist a bit of classic MMA math.

"Yeah, the fight went exactly the way I thought it would," du Plessis said backstage with a confident grin. "Great fight by Strickland. It's so hard to keep that man on the ground. He even made Khamzat tired—and that's exactly what happened. I knew in the stand-up, Khamzat wouldn't be able to hang with him. So, congratulations. I guess that makes me world champion again."

It was a moment reminiscent of Sean O'Malley's signature style, but with a twist. Instead of pretending a loss never happened, du Plessis simply used the logic of head-to-head results to crown himself. Of course, MMA doesn't quite work that way—but it makes for great drama.

Let's rewind the tape: du Plessis first captured the Middleweight title by defeating Strickland via split decision at UFC 297. He then solidified his dominance in their rematch at UFC 312, leaving Strickland with a 0-2 record against him. Since then, du Plessis lost the belt to Chimaev last year and hasn't stepped back into the Octagon.

But the story isn't over. Du Plessis is expected to return around International Fight Week, and if he picks up a win, a trilogy with Strickland might be unavoidable. For now, the Middleweight division is buzzing with possibilities—and a little bit of playful math.