UFC 296 Fallout: du Plessis and Strickland Brawl in the Crowd
In an unexpected turn of events, middleweight champion Sean Strickland and Dricus du Plessis delivered what is now being called the most unhinged moment of 2023 in the UFC world.
The encounter between Strickland and du Plessis went down in the crowd at UFC 296 following what appeared to be a cutaway promo for their upcoming title fight in January at UFC 297. The camera went to the middleweight champ, sitting in the first row, and then du Plessis, seated within two rows, as per Dana White’s arrangement. After flexing and pointing at each other, some verbal sparring occurred before Strickland asked the son of UFC welterweight Gilbert Burns to move and leaped over the seats to engage with du Plessis.
Burns’s family were spectators at the event, but he was not on this card.
The brawl around audience members was quickly broken up by security. This action surprised onlookers and set a new precedent for unpredictability with athletes in the sport. Strickland was booted from the event.
While as the middleweight champion, Strickland probably should have kept it to smack talk, according to Burns’s wife, Bruna, du Plessis instigated the dust-up. Bruna, a BJJ black belt herself, tweeted about the incident the next day.
I don?t like @SStricklandMMA trash talks but DDP call him to fight right there . Sean polite asked us to move before he jumped .
— Bruna Burns (@brunaburnsbjj) December 17, 2023
Known for his unconventional behavior, Strickland lived up to his reputation. His actions on this occasion were true to form: unhinged, solitary, yet undeniably captivating. The other side of it brings into question if what du Plessis said also crossed a line.
This incident has undoubtedly cemented Strickland’s status as one of the most unpredictable figures in UFC history.
Stay tuned as the two fighters will settle this in the Octagon on January 20 in Toronto.
Stay ahead of the game and elevate your sports betting experience with SportsGrid.
