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UFC Middleweight Champion Sean Strickland and future title challenger Dricus Du Plessis got into a wild brawl in the crowd during the UFC 296 event.
Sean Strickland and Dricus Du Plessis exchanged words and had a physical altercation during #UFC296.
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) December 17, 2023
UFC security had to separate the two and Strickland was escorted out of the arena. pic.twitter.com/lHQ5EYw4Jg
The full incident between Sean Strickland and Dricus Du Plessis at #UFC296 tonight.
— UFC (@ufc) December 17, 2023
Bring on #UFC297 in January! pic.twitter.com/HQt0Uj1jiv
HOLY CRAP SEAN STRICKLAND AND DRICUS DU PLESSIS GOT INTO IT!!! Had to be separated #UFC296 pic.twitter.com/igZclEMwp5
— Helen Yee (@HelenYeeSports) December 17, 2023
Footage of DDP and Strickland getting pulled apart after coming to blows. pic.twitter.com/3YWAebvRKX
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) December 17, 2023
The best angle of DDP vs Strickland just dropped #UFC296 @SpinninBackfist pic.twitter.com/2vL9EieMA7
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) December 17, 2023
Du Plessis and Strickland both commented on their brawl a short time after their altercation on X:
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
— Dricus Du Plessis (@dricusduplessis) December 17, 2023
I go hard on everyone I know this, izzy mouth feeding his dog, Dricus kissing his coach and grabbing his cup. Omally talking about sharing his wife in a podcast.
— Sean Strickland (@SStricklandMMA) December 17, 2023
You're a man, on a world stage doing this in public
And what do you pick?
"You got abused as a kid ha"
Some believe that Strickland attacked Du Plessis after Du Plessis’ comments towards Strickland at the press conference earlier in the week, but Du Plessis says Strickland should be able to handle the trash talk, especially since he trash talks some much himself.
“I don’t really care how he feels,” Du Plessis said backstage at UFC 296 (transcript via Matthew Wells of MMA Junkie). “I don’t care about him being triggered. He goes and says whatever he wants. … Now there’s one thing that’s a soft spot, a trigger for him, and now we’re not allowed to say it? I mean, if you want to dish it out, you have to be able to take it. But yeah, the fact that he’s triggered, I don’t give a damn about that.
“I’m feeling absolutely great and the fact that he’s triggered only plays into my advantage. I can’t believe how easy it was to mentally trigger him. I thought Sean Strickland, he’s just bashing everybody around, about everything on everybody, and one little sentence and the man loses his mind. Shows you how easily mentally he’ll be broken.”
UFC CEO Dana White says it was his fault the brawl happened, because he is responsible for where the fighters sit during the event.
“So what kind of an assh*** sits Strickland next to du Plessis? This assh***, that’s who,” White said at the UFC 296 post-fight press conference (transcript via Damon Martin of MMA Fighting). “I do every seating assignment every week. Yep, how f****** stupid is that? Seriously. I don’t know what humans you can sit Strickland next to, but definitely not du Plessis. I don’t how I missed that. This is the business we’re in. I say it all the time, jumped in there, told Strickland to relax, go in the back. He decided to leave so he left the arena, du Plessis was good. We were literally just talking to him right outside the door there. Gentlemen, we are in the fight business. These are the things that happen.”
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