UFC 312 fight week is here, and with it comes the usual chaos—mind games, trash talk, and intense stare-downs. But this time, something else is raising eyebrows. A new fight week portrait of Sean Strickland has fans buzzing, not because of his intense demeanor, but because of what appears to be an infection on his body.

Their first meeting at UFC 297 was a razor-thin battle that split opinions, but it was Dricus Du Plessis who left Toronto with the middleweight strap. Now, under the bright lights of UFC 312 in Australia, Strickland is hunting for revenge. But there seems to be a storm brewing on the horizon, as questions have emerged regarding Sean Strickland, possibly suffering from a staph infection! 

It all started with a fight week portrait. According to a post shared by Du Plessis on his Instagram story, “What? He grew taller and added staph infection his arsenal… O sh—!”. The Mac Life’ official account fueled the fire by sharing the image and reaction on Instagram.  

Could this impact the UFC 312 main event? Staph infections are no joke, especially in a high-stakes fight like this. Fighters have also been pulled from bouts in the past due to severe staph outbreaks.

As of now, there has been no official word from the UFC, Strickland, or his camp regarding the alleged infection. But the speculation alone has been enough to cast a shadow over UFC 312’s main event. And if health concerns weren’t enough, ‘Tarzan’ nearly sidelined himself in another way—by pulling a reckless motorcycle stunt just days before the fight!

Sean Strickland’s ‘stunt’ ends in a close call for UFC 312 main event

In Episode 1 of UFC 312 “Embedded,” Sean Strickland, always one for living dangerously, decided to add some adrenaline to his fight week routine.

As he straddled his motorcycle, he quipped, “Gotta let it warm up, like a woman, gotta ease her into it, get her right.” He then revved up the engine and added, “Motorcycles are fun because they’re f—ing scary. Every time you get on one, your b— puckers a little bit and you’re like, ‘Oh, this is real scary, but it’s real fun.”

Then, in a split second, things almost went south. Strickland attempted a wheelie, lost control, and came crashing back down. The footage captured the exact moment when his balance wavered—a heart-stopping instant that could have spelled disaster.

Dana White has always had mixed feelings about his fighters owning motorcycles. While he doesn’t ban them outright, he has made it clear that he’d prefer they use them sparingly. Luckily for fight fans, Strickland seemed unharmed after his misadventure. But combined with the staph infection speculation, the UFC 312 main event has been riding a rollercoaster of uncertainty.

One thing’s for sure—whether it’s the infection rumors, reckless stunts, or Strickland’s unpredictable nature, UFC 312 has already delivered more drama than most fight weeks. But come fight night, all that matters is what happens in the cage. Will Strickland reclaim his throne, or will Dricus Du Plessis continue his reign? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!