Sean Strickland lost the middleweight championship at UFC 297 to Dricus Du Plessis but many, including UFC President Dana White didn’t agree with the decision.
Former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker doesn’t understand why there’s so much controversy surrounding the split decision win for the South African and score the fight for Du Plessis.
“I don’t know why it’s controversial. I’ve seen a lot of other fighters and Dana White himself saying he didn’t think he (Dricus Du Plessis) won the fight, but my opinion, I thought he won the fight. I will say, and I don’t like blurring the lines, but I will say congratulations to Dricus because he wanted it,” said Whittaker on the MMArcade Podcast.
“I talked to a bunch of people and said that he’s a big, strong guy and he’s awkward as hell to fight, but one of his things is he goes out on his shield. He’s not going to go away. He’s not going to give up and he’ll leave the octagon on a stretcher and that’s exactly what he showed. I will say congratulations to the new champ because he wanted it more.”
Whittaker was primed to secured another title shot when he lost to Du Plessis at UFC 290 last July. The win set Du Plessis up to fight for the title shot at UFC 297.
“Dricus did not go away and you saw his face after the fight. The commentators and everybody and their friends wouldn’t shut up about the jab. Understandably. Great jab, and he threw it at Dricus’ face about 7,000 times. But let’s give a little props to Dricus because he didn’t go away. He didn’t go away, was throwing overhands from the start to the literal finish just pushing into him. I think he mentioned it in the post-fight press conference as well, he was beat up from it,” said Whittaker.
“You only fight like that and fight through that being hungry, wanting it, and being willing to leave it all there… I thought personally that he won the fight.”
https://www.mmaweekly.com/news/robert-whittaker-on-dricus-du-plessis-beating-sean-strickland-i-dont-know-why-its-controversial
