The fight was a rematch of their bout just over a year ago, when Du Plessis triumphed via split decision following a back-and-forth contest.

Strickland, 33, believes he should have been awarded victory that night, but can have no complaints about the judges at the Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney.

Strickland, who had light-heavyweight and former middleweight champion Alex Pereira in his corner, had angered Australian media during fight week with a series of inflammatory comments but was cheered by fans as he made his walkout.

Du Plessis received a mixed reception but was not fazed as he took control of the fight in the early stages.

Strickland spent much of the contest methodically using his jab and front kick, with Du Plessis delivering more output and landing the more eye-catching strikes.

The South African, who was making the second defence of his belt, mixed up his kicks and punches well, with Strickland’s corner growing more frustrated as the rounds slipped by.

A big moment came in the fourth round, as a huge right hand from Du Plessis appeared to break Strickland’s nose, seeing the American quickly back off.

With blood gushing down his face, he showed remarkable toughness to survive until the end of the fight, but was unable to deliver any significant damage to Du Plessis.

In his post-fight interview, Du Plessis took aim at Perreira, asking “is there no one else?”, in response to the Brazilian saying previously he would be interested in a future matchup.