The stakes couldn’t be higher at UFC 312. A bitter rivalry. A disputed decision. A champion with everything to prove. Sean Strickland and Dricus Du Plessis are set to collide again, and this time, it’s personal. Their first encounter at UFC 297 ended with ‘Stillknocks’ snatching the middleweight crown in a razor-close split decision. Strickland, never one to stay quiet, has made it clear—he believes he was robbed. And now, he’s out for revenge.
In a recent conversation with Mike Bohn, Strickland was asked if there’s something personal coming into this matchup due to the South African champion having a win over him “or do you have a bigger beef?”. In his trademark fashion, ‘Tarzan’ stated, “I feel like more, I got robbed. I feel like the headbutt changed things, changed the optics, the dynamics and it’s not personal in the sense that I hate Dricus. This is personal in the sense that we need to fight a 5-round war and see what happens.”
But revenge isn’t the only thing fueling this rematch. Strickland’s approach to fighting has also come under fire. Further during the conversation, Bohn inquired, “You know, you do say stuff a lot before the fight, to the death, things like that. What do you say to the fans who say, when you make these comments and when the fights play out, you do have your style which is…”
‘Tarzan’s response? He bluntly responded by confessing, “I respect him for it, he goes, he goes f—g full send. Full f–g send and I respect him for that, but like you’re a wrecking ball, I’m a f–g scalpel. It just comes down to who’s better. I think I was better last time. I think I’m better this time.”
Strickland often loves to paint himself as a fearless brawler, a warrior willing to throw down in the trenches in pre-fight interviews and media conversations. But his track record tells a different story. Out of his last 4 wins inside the Octagon, only one has come via finish. The fight against Abusupiyan Magomedov at UFC Vegas 76 in 2023. As such, the MMA community didn’t hold back after Strickland’s comments. Fans weren’t convinced and here’s a look at what the netizens had to say!
Sean Strickland’s comparison of his and Dricus Du Plessis’s fighting styles falls flat with the fans
One fan needed just four words to sum up their thoughts on Sean Strickland’s fighting style. Although he is a former middleweight champion, according to Tapology, ‘Tarzan’ has a 69% decision win percentage, with just a 25% KO/TKO percentage.
“That scalpel is dull”
The most common criticism? Strickland promises wars but delivers point-fighting. Well, this time he has renowned knockout artist Alex Pereira in his corner for UFC 312. However, according to Du Plessis in an interview with CBS Sports, “He was in the corner in the first fight, too. I mean, they don’t even speak the same language. It doesn’t really make much of a difference.”
“Bro says this then spams jabs and teeps for 25 min”
Another fan mocked Strickland’s tendency to shout about violence while sticking to a conservative game plan. He may be a “scalpel”, as he calls himself, but to many, he’s more of a dull blade—sharp enough to scrape out decisions but not to carve through opponents.
“I’m gonna go to war for you guys!!!” Shells up and jabs for 25 mins”
Others also pointed out that no matter what ‘Tarzan’ says in his interviews his fights do have a tendency to play out the same way. Well, ahead of UFC 312, he challenged Du Plessis to an unwritten pact—to keep the fight standing and slug it out like “f—ing men.” Du Plessis, however, wasn’t playing along. His response? “There are no pacts between lions and men.”
“Strickland is the definition of all talk, no action”
The fans kept the jabs coming as they pointed out that most of the action in Sean Strickland’s fights happens in the final 10 seconds. A damning verdict indeed, but what do you think?
“How does he talk about himself like this when he knows he’s just going to teep and jab for 5 rounds and then scream for the last 10 seconds of the fight…”
To wrap things up, As UFC 312 draws near, the battle lines are clear. Sean Strickland wants redemption, but fans aren’t buying his war cry. He’s painted himself as a scalpel, a technician dissecting opponents, yet many see him as a point-fighter who plays it safe. Will ‘Tarzan’ back up his words, or will Du Plessis prove once again that there are no pacts between lions and men? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
The post Fans Lose Faith in Sean Strickland as Rivalry Goes Personal Against Dricus Du Plessis Before UFC 312 appeared first on EssentiallySports.
