UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland has issued a stern warning to Dricus Du Plessis ahead of UFC 297.
Strickland (28-5 MMA, 15-5 UFC) makes his first title defense against Du Plessis (20-2 MMA, 4-0 UFC) in Saturday’s main event at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto. Du Plessis struck a nerve when he brought up Strickland’s traumatic childhood during the UFC 2024 Season Press Conference.
“Bro, why are you so angry? Du Plessis told Strickland last month. “You think your dad beat the sh*t out of you? Your dad doesn’t have sh*t on me. I’m going to show you what it’s like to beat you. Every childhood memory you have is going to come back when I’m in there with you – every single one. The one where you lie in bed at night and your dad comes in and he beats the sh*t out of you.”
Du Plessis’ comments stuck with Strickland and later caused a brawl to ensue at T-Mobile Arena where both men attended UFC 296. Strickland, who was brought to tears when reliving his childhood in a recent interview with Theo Von, said he won’t tolerate Du Plessis going there again.
“I actually sent him a message,” Strickland said on his YouTube channel. “‘Dude, listen, Dricus: We’re going to go try to murder each other, but if you bring that sh*t up again, I will f*cking stab you. Press conference, weigh-in … he was cool about it.
“I’m not telling you I don’t want to fight you. Dricus. I’m not saying you’re not a good fighter. I’m just saying that’s a line that, when crossed, it transcends fighting. If I go to Canada and you bring that up, guess what? I’m going to go to jail, they’re going to deport me, and we spent eight weeks of training for no f*cking reason.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 297.
