Sean Strickland and Dricus Du Plessis couldn’t wait until January for their UFC 297 bout and started a melee during this weekend’s event.
The two are set to face each other in the cage next month, with Du Plessis challenging the middleweight champ for his belt. However, during UFC 296 this Saturday, the two physically clashed despite only serving as event audiences.
Prior to the fight, Strickland and Du Plessis were given exposure, with both trying to antagonize each other. The American then gestured shooting a gun to “Stillknocks.” Things then went more verbal. Strickland later asked Gilbert Burns’s son to move and immediately jumped and pounced on the South African fighter.
The full incident between Sean Strickland and Dricus Du Plessis at #UFC296 tonight.
Bring on #UFC297 in January! pic.twitter.com/HQt0Uj1jiv
— UFC (@ufc) December 17, 2023
From the videos shared online, including UFC’s own footage, Strickland could be seen delivering most of the shots. Du Plessis tried to send some back to the champ, but several individuals and event officials, including UFC CEO Dana White, intervened to break the fight. Despite that, Du Plessis tried to downplay the blows in a Twitter post, saying Strickland’s punches explain his finish rate.
Now I understand why you have a 33% finish rate, you hit like a girl, also 20 January the security won’t be there to save your life when I’m on top. #rentfree
