Sean Strickland continues to express frustration over his UFC 297 title loss to Dricus Du Plessis.
Strickland (28-6 MMA, 15-6 UFC) lost the middleweight belt to Du Plessis (21-2 MMA, 7-0 UFC) by split decision in Saturday’s main event at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto. The fight was closely contested, and the cuts on Strickland’s face may have worked against him in the latter part of the five-round match.
Right after the fight, Strickland suggested that a clash of heads by Du Plessis played a role in the outcome. On Monday, he stood by that claim, mentioning he could've taken the easy route with a no contest, but instead, he fought until the end. He still believes he should've been declared the winner (via Instagram).
Du Plessis was caught off guard at the UFC 297 post-fight news conference when asked about the narrative of a fight-altering clash of heads, and argued he clearly won anyway.
Strickland’s latest comments weren’t taken kindly by the new champion (via Instagram comments):
