Have you ever broken a nose? If so, our condolences. If not, consider yourself lucky. According to Chael Sonnen, a broken nose is pure agony. But if you’re a fighter, pain is just part of the job—you’re in the Octagon to fight, after all. That’s exactly how Sean Strickland approached his UFC 312 war with Dricus Du Plessis, refusing to make excuses despite suffering a brutal nose fracture in his loss. Strickland gave full credit to Du Plessis for the victory, acknowledging that even though he had challenged DDP to a stand-up fight, the South African rose to the occasion.
He openly admitted to the damage he took and had nothing but praise for his opponent. “Dricus, f–king hat’s off,” Strickland said in a video posted to Instagram. “Hell of a fight. Broke my nose in like six places. The silver lining—my nose is so broken it’s easy to reset. That was a new experience.” However, not everyone was impressed with the American’s efforts at UFC 312.
Former UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold had a different take, criticizing Strickland’s approach on the JAXXON podcast. “Sean just, he tries to read and he waits and he times his jab so well. But the rhythm and activity that Du Plessis puts on doesn’t let him settle,” Rockhold remarked.
The former champ didn’t hold back, expressing his frustration in an agitated tone: “Seriously, in an MMA fight when you break your nose and you’re in a world title fight. A World Title MMA fight and you break your nose and you run around the cage. Like just, like you know it’s broken. But you did it for like an extended amount of time like he ran around the whole round. Like, he realize your nose is broken. Do you want to win a fu—-world title or not? Like f–k off! Just, you are so worried, you are trying to reset your nose in there? What kind of a fu—ng man you are?”
Moreover, this wasn’t the first time since UFC 312 that Rockhold criticized Strickland’s lack of urgency after falling behind early. Speaking previously on The Ariel Helwani Show, Rockhold aimed Strickland’s pre-fight bravado. “We all watched the fight. We all heard this guy talk, ‘To the death, Dutchman, to the death! This mother–cker talks such a big game, and then he b—hes out and quits in the fight after he breaks his nose. What are you worried about?”
For Rockhold, the issue wasn’t just the injury—it was Strickland’s mindset. He believed Strickland prioritized his broken nose over the world title on the line. However, ‘Tarzan’ wasn’t without his defenders. Daniel Cormier and Chael Sonnen both stood by Strickland, supporting his decisions and praising his grit. While opinions are divided, one thing is certain—this debate isn’t fading anytime soon.
Chael Sonnen and Daniel Cormier back Sean Strickland after UFC 312 defeat
Sean Strickland faced heavy backlash following his loss to Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 312, but not everyone was quick to criticize him. UFC Hall of Famers Daniel Cormier and Chael Sonnen stepped up to defend the former champion, offering a different perspective on his performance.
During a media session ahead of filming The Ultimate Fighter 33, Cormier and Sonnen addressed the criticism head-on. “We are kind of piling upon this guy,” Cormier stated, calling out the harsh reactions. “It’s kind of crazy how much people are piling on, when, sure, he lost. But sometimes you get beat. You know what’s crazy? I get it. Some people can say, ‘I’m going to do this, I’m going to do that.’ Dude, sometimes it just doesn’t f—ing work. Your intention is to go out there and die, then some guy kicks your butt to the point you’re like, ‘F–k, man, I might actually have to die fighting this dude.’ And you’re like, ‘I don’t want to do that.’ You have the right to pivot and turn.”
Sonnen backed him up, adding, “Yeah, did he do bad? I was proud of his efforts. Having your nose broken, it hurts really bad. Breaking a finger or breaking a nose? Two small things, but I’ll just tell you, the pain is really immense, and to watch Sean reset it and stay in that fight – the math was already against him with the nose broke. He was not going to win that fight. He did not have the power, he was not going to find the guy and the math was against him. So he can stay out there for another 12 minutes taking an ass-whooping because it was honorable, or he could quit. He chose to stay in there and take an a-s-whooping.”
Cormier, a former double champ, emphasized that winning and losing are part of any sport, and Strickland made the right call by not pushing forward recklessly with a broken nose. Sonnen further explained that while a fractured nose might not seem like a major injury, the pain is no joke—something only those who’ve been in the cage can truly understand.
So, does Strickland deserve all the criticism from fellow fighters and veterans? Or should his toughness and decision-making be respected? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
The post “Do You Want to Win a World Title or Not?” – Sean Strickland Faces a Bitter Reality Check On UFC 312 Loss to Dricus Du Plessis appeared first on EssentiallySports.
