Dricus Du Plessis is the new middleweight champion at UFC. However, if CEO Dana White is to be asked, he believes that the UFC 297 bout between the two was won by former champ Sean Strickland. Needless to say, the South African fighter does not like one bit, calling the executive’s sentiment “bullsh*t.”
Du Plessis managed to steal Strickland’s belt this weekend, but it was a close fight between them, with “Stillknocks” winning via split decision (47-48, 48-47, 48-47). Two of the judges favored Du Plessis, with judge Sal D’Amato taking Strickland’s side. White is also on the side of the champ, stressing how the American fighter delivered more satisfying attacks than his opponent.
“It’s funny. We were just looking at how the media had scored it: right down the middle. I had it 2-2 going into the last round, and I thought Strickland won the last round,” White said during a post-fight news conference. “Guys who were sitting at the same table had it the other way. It was a close fight. I thought Strickland looked great in the first two rounds.
“The jab was f*cking beautiful. You don’t see jabs like that in MMA. The jabs did what they were supposed to do. Both of (Du Plessis’) eyes were swelling shut. He slowed down in the third and fourth. Du Plessis kept coming forward, then mixed up takedowns and punches. I had it even going into the fifth round. I was like, ‘This is the round to see who wants it.’ They both started to turn it up a little bit.”
Hearing about the executive’s opinion, Du Plessis didn’t mince words to contradict White.
“Dana said it? Well, bullsh*t.”
Despite this, the fighter admitted that it was indeed a close fight but chose to celebrate his current victory. In the end, Du Plessis stressed he was the one who won, as shown by the judge’s scores.
“It was a close fight, make no mistake – but I thought I had it,” Du Plessis said. “When that split decision came, I thought, ‘This is, 100 percent, 50-50 (if I win or lose).’ When they said, ‘And new …,’ it felt like 15 years of work and sacrifice together in one single sentence. It feels surreal. It’s amazing.
“I thought I did enough to win the fight. It definitely was a close fight. He won the first round, and I made the necessary adjustments. … At the end of the day, I went toe-to-toe with the self-proclaimed best boxer in the UFC.”
