Sean Strickland’s first outing as a UFC champion didn’t go as deliberate.
The now former UFC middleweight champion launched behind-the-scenes video this week documenting the earlier than and after of his UFC 297 predominant occasion in opposition to Dricus du Plessis. The footage, which revealed on Strickland’s YouTube channel, reveals Strickland’s arrival to Toronto’s Scotiabank Enviornment alongside teammate Chris Curtis, the pair warming up backstage underneath the watchful eye of UFC mild heavyweight champion Alex Pereira, and Strickland’s rapid response following his cut up determination loss.
After a carefully contested back-and-forth bout, one decide scored the 48-47 for Strickland, whereas two others turned in 48-47 scorecards for South African challenger du Plessis.
Watch Strickland’s journey above.
“As soon as that eye opened up, man, I simply couldn’t see s***,” Strickland mentioned after returning to the locker room along with his crew. “Welcome to combating. I really feel like Chris Curtis. I’m going to begin f****** calling myself Chris Curtis.”
Strickland has since blamed the cut he suffered mid-fight on account of an unintended head butt because the catalyst for his loss. “I didn’t take the coward’s means out and inform the physician I couldn’t see and received a no-contest,” Strickland wrote on Instagram after UFC 297. “The one cause why you took a spherical from me is as a result of I couldn’t see. I received that combat, the world is aware of I received that combat. The belt they gave you’ll by no means make you a champion, take pleasure in.”
UFC CEO Dana White revealed post-fight that he scored the bout for Strickland however mentioned the UFC doesn’t plan to e book a direct rematch between Strickland and du Plessis.
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