A war was promised in the UFC 297 headliner and a war is exactly what was provided. Sean Strickland and Dricus Du Plessis battled it out for 25 minutes, rightfully earning themselves a fight of the night bonus in the process.
There was a lot of talk leading into the event, with many factors being questioned by fans. Some pondered whether ‘Stillknocks’ could keep the pace in the latter rounds, while others commented on the then champion’s ability to withstand the power coming from his opponent. That and more was certainly answered by the middleweight warriors.
Following the razor-close matchup, Sean Strickland released a statement on social media. He believes he should have been given the nod from the judges and made his thoughts public with a brief rant.
“I didn’t take the coward’s way out and tell the doctor I couldn’t see and got a no contest,” Strickland said after coming up short against Du Plessis. “The only reason why you took a round from me is because I couldn’t see.”
“I won that fight, the world knows I won that fight… The belt they gave you will never make you a champion, enjoy.”
Strickland also spoke of the damage he received from an unintentional headbutt and shared an image of his eye in the aftermath. He later thanked his fans for helping him deal with the clear disappointment of his loss.
That is one brutal cut over the eye of the Champion Strickland #UFC297 pic.twitter.com/Anrt9rnKO3
— Frankie Taddeo (@RespectedMoney) January 21, 2024
“They had to stitch through muscle to get it closed. Thank you to everyone, your support has really kept my head up high through all this, grateful forever.”
The damage he sustained was likely a huge factor in the outcome of the close split-decision clash. Strickland’s vision was at a disadvantage and the visuals looked disturbing as seen in the posts below.
Related: Joe Rogan reacts to Sean Strickland losing to Dricus Du Plessis
Despite the relationship between the two appearing to be good after their fight, it now looks to have soured once again.
Sean Strickland’s social media post understandably didn’t sit too well with Dricus Du Plessis, who saw his chance to fire shots at the former champion.
Strickland recently made an appearance on a podcast with Theo Von and got emotional due to his childhood trauma. The situation is a touchy subject for the 32-year-old but that didn’t stop Du Plessis from using it to rile him up for a second time.
https://www.mmaweekly.com/news/sean-strickland-photo-of-eye-injury-they-had-to-stitch-through-muscle-to-get-it-closed
