Dricus Du Plessis spoke with UFC CEO Dana White about probably urgent costs in opposition to Sean Strickland after the reigning 185-pound champ attacked him within the crowd on the promotion’s remaining pay-per-view of 2023.
Following a heated verbal confrontation on the UFC Seasonal Press Convention final month, tempers boiled over inside T-Cell Area when Strickland and Du Plessis have been seated in the identical part for UFC 296. After politely asking Gilbert Burns’ household to maneuver out of the best way, Strickland lept over the seats and attacked Du Plessis, giving combat followers a preview of their extremely anticipated middleweight title conflict scheduled to go down on January 20 in Toronto.
Each fighters walked away from the incident unscathed, however on condition that Strickland initiated the scuffle, Du Plessis was given the choice to press costs.
“I do know Dana got here to me and stated, ‘Pay attention, that is the case. We’re actually sorry about this,” Du Plessis instructed MMA Junkie. “Clearly, the police had him and costs will be pressed as a result of that’s assault. It’s outdoors of an expert enviornment. They didn’t attempt to persuade me in any other case in any respect. They actually stated, ‘In case you really feel like that was uncalled for, we utterly perceive if you wish to press costs and take this additional.’
“I stated, ‘No, no, no, no, no. Please no.’ We’re two fighters. It was a great previous scrap like we did earlier than we turned professionals. I simply paused and was like, ‘I’d even take the blame if that’s doable, simply to make it possible for nothing occurs to him’” (h/t BJPenn.com).
Had ‘Stillknocks’ opted to press costs, it probably would have spelled the tip of their anticipated title tilt in The Nice White North.
“We all know to return to Canada, they’re very strict,” Du Plessis continued. “They’re very, very strict in entering into the nation. I simply needed to make it possible for if the combat wasn’t in jeopardy. I by no means even consider Sean Strickland attempting to get away. He’s the kind of man who’s all the time sport. He’s a man who will exit on his protect and do it with honor.”
“I took on his manliness. I used to be in his face. I instructed him, ‘What are you going to do about it?’ He stood up for himself. That’s what an actual man does. I’m glad for him. I’m glad he has that in him. It doesn’t matter what the state of affairs, what the repercussions, he didn’t give it some thought. He stated, ‘I’m standing up for myself,’ and rightfully so. That’s the place the respect comes from as a result of that’s precisely what I’d’ve finished.”
Dricus Du Plessis Is Able to Drop the drama and give attention to successful gold
With combat night time closing in, Du Plessis is content material to go away all of the drama behind and give attention to capturing his first UFC title.
“I hope it’s over now, however there’s not going to be one-ups. There aren’t any one-ups. What’s going to occur, goes to occur. We’ll see the way it performs out, however proper now my focus is on the combat. I’m not right here to be humorous. I’m not right here to try to create one thing that there’s not. I’m right here to be the following champion of the world. That’s why I’m right here. I’m not going to be right here to attempt to one-up or get even additional. I’m going to do what I’m going to do and he’s going to do what he’s going to do. However proper now, it’s nearly mindless to attempt to create extra hype.”
“The hype has been created. That took care of itself. Proper now, for me, that is enterprise. The entire combat week is enterprise. All the pieces I deal with, I’ll deal with it like enterprise. Saturday night time, I’ll be signing on the dotted line, closing the deal.”
UFC 297 will emanate from Scotiabank Area. Strickland defends his title for the primary time since scoring a shocking unanimous resolution victory in opposition to Israel Adesanya to say the crown in September. Du Plessis goes into his first title alternative backed by six-straight wins contained in the Octagon. Stillknocks’ earned his shot with a brutal second-round knockout of Robert Whittaker at UFC 290.
