Sean Strickland blames head butt for grisly carve in UFC 297 critical match, Dricus du Plessis responds

Sean Strickland is taking his championship loss in breeze.

The now-aged UFC middleweight champion dropped his title to Dricus du Plessis in the UFC 297 critical match Saturday in Toronto, with du Plessis incomes a damage up resolution resolve after a shut five-round strive against.

Strickland became as soon as a bloody mess for the length of stretches of the strive against, a recount that he attributed to a head butt for the length of the strive against in a social media submit.

“Successfully, f, ha ha… man, that head butt truly made it complex to sight, but I realizing we bought the job accomplished,” Strickland wrote. “Blood and all. On to the next one. Thanks everybody who supported me.”

Within the instant aftermath of the strive against, Strickland and du Plessis were respectful and complimentary of every a form of of their submit-strive against interviews.

It became as soon as the first loss for Strickland since December 2022, ending a four-strive against stretch that noticed him upset Israel Adesanya at UFC 293 to become world champion earlier than shedding the belt in his first defense. Du Plessis defeated Strickland with a pair of 48-47 ratings on two of the judges’ cards.

Du Plessis became as soon as requested in regards to the alleged head butt at the evening’s submit-strive against press conference, and he answered that he wasn’t attentive to any imperfect, accidental or otherwise.

“No, I’m able to’t pronounce that I did,” Du Plessis mentioned. “It’s the first time I’m hearing of it. No, I didn’t feel a head butt for the length of the strive against. … No, I’m able to’t take into accout any head butt.”