Dricus du Plessis has dismissed Sean Strickland‘s emotional response to their press conference showdown, stating he has no remorse for his comments about Strickland’s childhood trauma ahead of their UFC 297 middleweight title fight.
Dricus du Plessis? Unfazed. Sean Strickland’s words? They’re not shaking him. Not one bit. The press conference showdown? Just another day in the office.
These middleweight titans have stirred up quite the storm. Their face-off on Jan. 20 at UFC 297 is the talk of the town. And why wouldn’t it be? Strickland’s UFC middleweight title is on the line.
Their first face-to-face? Almost turned into a brawl. Du Plessis, the South African contender, didn’t hold back. He brought up Strickland’s childhood trauma. “You think your dad beat the s*** out of you? Your dad doesn’t have s*** on me … every childhood memory you have is going to come back when I’m in there with you.” Ouch.
The next day, things got even more heated. Strickland jumped over a row of seats at the T-Mobile Arena. His target? Du Plessis. The scene at UFC 296? Utter chaos.
Strickland finally spoke up. He was on This Past Weekend with Theo Von. The UFC champ was emotional, to say the least. He spoke about the horrific abuse he suffered as a child. He felt du Plessis’ comments were “off limits.”
Du Plessis? He had his say on Friday. In an interview with MMA On Point. His take on Strickland’s comments? “I didn’t watch [them] and I don’t think I will,” he said. He wasn’t interested in “watching a grown man cry in an interview.” But he was glad Strickland “got it out.”
Du Plessis doesn’t think Strickland deserves credit for his mindset. He believes Strickland doesn’t think. He just fights. And he’s good at it. Du Plessis respects him as a fighter. But he also thinks he’s a hypocrite.
Strickland, 32, has been open about his childhood abuse. He’s shared his fears about his father murdering his mother. He’s spoken about calling the police while hiding under the bed. He had to pause several times during the interview with Von. It was too much.
Strickland’s not been shy about attacking other fighters. So du Plessis doesn’t feel bad about giving him a taste of his own medicine. “If you go after other people, eventually they’re going to come after you,” he said.
Du Plessis doesn’t want to keep harping on the same thing. He’s moved on from the press conference. He respects Strickland as a fighter and as a person. But he also thinks Strickland should be able to take what he dishes out.
Du Plessis’ comments at the press conference came a day after Colby Covington insulted Leon Edwards‘ deceased father. Some people have compared the two situations. Du Plessis doesn’t think it’s a fair comparison.
He doesn’t agree with what Covington did. He thinks it’s wrong to joke about someone’s dead family. But he insists he wasn’t joking about Strickland’s trauma. He was just stating facts.
UFC 297 is set to take place at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto. Strickland and du Plessus will face off in a five-round championship showdown. The main event? It’s going to be epic.