Du Plessis doubts Strickland brawl was a ‘set up’: ‘It was mutual combat’

Sean Strickland and Dricus Du Plessis had slightly unsanctioned brawl on the ground of the T-Cellular Area throughout UFC 296. Lengthy way back when the UFC was nonetheless striving for mainstream acceptance, one thing like that will have had main unfavorable repercussions for each males. Now it’s thought of completely acceptable pre-fight jostling — a pleasant little bit of promotion for his or her UFC 297 title combat in Toronto.

The incident was packaged and promoted on the pay-per-view and throughout all UFC socials. Some even suspect the whole thing was staged, or no less than purposefully instigated by seating them collectively. In a brand new interview with The Coach And The Informal, Du Plessis doubted the UFC was behind it.

“They put you collectively close to one another on function, bro,” the interviewer mentioned.

“No,” Du Plessis replied. “Nicely, I imply, I don’t assume so.”

“Stillknocks” admits he was ready for an incident following a tumultuous press conference the place he introduced up the bodily abuse Strickland had suffered by the hands of his father rising up.

“Clearly, you realize, this can be a massive psychological sport,” Du Plessis mentioned. “This complete combat factor is a psychological sport for me. [Pressers are] all enjoyable and video games. However on the finish of the day, that’s a part of it. That’s a part of the combat, what occurs in that press convention. That’s a combat earlier than the combat identical to the weigh-in is. There’s nothing you might presumably say to throw me off. And I mentioned cool. I’m gonna begin chipping away and see the place after I get this.”

“He seems like a man that he’s not gonna be straightforward to freak as a result of he dishes it out,” he continued. “The very first thing I mentioned [did it], and that was solely the start. He’s so glad it was the top, I had a lot extra to go. Oh my God, I used to be so prepared, and that was the very first thing I mentioned to this man! I assumed, ‘Oh, he’s performing,’ after which I noticed like, ‘I actually acquired him.’ Okay. I did all this homework, and I did all this preparation for this, and now the very first thing I say [got him].”

From that time onward, you’d assume conserving Sean and Dricus aside would have been a precedence for UFC employees. So think about the South African’s shock when he realized they have been seated inside 5 toes of one another at UFC 296 — a foolish oversight on the a part of UFC CEO Dana White himself.

“We stroll in, and I have a look at my ticket,” Du Plessis recalled. “That is my first time sitting cageside. I dwell in South Africa, I don’t come to all of the occasions. That is your row, row C, Seat quantity 4 or 5, no matter. And I am going, okay. And I see that’s Sean Strickland over there. I’m assuming they’re gonna [put me on the other side]. And the man goes, no. You’re on that facet. I instantly realized, like, he’s in row A, then it’s B, and C, that means we’re sitting two rows aside. We even had the identical seat quantity. So he’s actually sitting proper in entrance of me.”

“Dude, that’s gotta be arrange,” the interviewer mentioned with fun.

“They inform me the cameras are gonna be on you guys now, and I clearly know that is his area,” Dricus mentioned. “They’re undoubtedly booing me. And I simply went, cool. I’m simply gonna be part of them with the boos and boo him. I’m like, cool, I’m with you guys, I’m booing him too. And as I did it, I may see him on the display screen, I simply noticed the he was so irritated.”

“Then he circled, and he did the entire gun factor. He was simply so pissed off, and I mentioned, ‘Pay attention, even with that gun you’re lacking.’ And he kinda appeared round, and I mentioned, ‘Yeah, look in entrance of you earlier than I beat your ass.’”

“We have been one another, he mentioned one thing, I mentioned one thing,” he mentioned. “And it was virtually like, okay, that’s the top of the storm. And I turned, nonetheless him, and he turned … after which he simply jumped. I assumed it was over, and he simply jumped. Right here we go.”

“It was loopy as a result of we have been in between a whole lot of fighters. It was so loopy, the vibe after the entire thing occurred. Often, if you happen to’re in a social setting like that and one thing like that occurs, some individuals are crying. However you simply see all of the fighters like ‘Yeaaah! Yeah!’”

Du Plessis wasn’t shaken by the incident in any respect, and caught round to maintain watching the fights. There’s no plans, he says, of involving the police or courts or any of that.

“I imply, when folks sue one another in South Africa, that’s for, like, actual stuff, not little stuff,” he mentioned. “If he hit me with a chair from behind or no matter, that’s causes for some concern. But it surely was quaint scrap. It was mutual fight. Yeah.”