UFC 296 was an action-packed event, filled with tremendous fights. However, the excitement wasn’t confined to the Octagon alone. Middleweight champion Sean Strickland and title contender Dricus Du Plessis were both present at the arena and, interestingly, they were sitting close. Very close. This resulted in a brawl after Strickland jumped at Du Plessis, and everyone blamed the champion for setting off the incident. But as it turns out, there’s more to that story.

The brawl happened during the Tony Ferguson vs. Paddy Pimblet match. The reason for the sudden outrage by Strickland was unknown. However, Gilbert Burns‘ wife, who was sitting near Du Plessis and Strickland, has shed light on what sparked the clash.

Who instigated the Sean Strickland – Dricus Du Plessis brawl?

Gilbert Burns’s wife, Bruna Burns, who was sitting just close to Strickland, revealed that it was not Strickland who started it. She took to her X (formerly Twitter) handle to add a post shedding light on the incident. She wrote, “I don’t like @SStricklandMMA trash talks but DDP call him to fight right there. Sean politely asked us to move before he jumped.”

Burns’ son was also visible before the brawl took place. As per Bruna’s back-to-back tweets, Gilbert Burns and Jamahal Hill protected her and her son from the incident. Later, Dana White took the blame for the brawl since he overlooked that they were seated so close.

In the aftermath of the event, Strickland was escorted out of the event and Du Plessis was allowed to stay. Most of the onlookers who saw the altercation, including Joe Rogan and the commentators, blamed Strickland for the brawl because he jumped on Du Plessis.

Sean Strickland and Dricus Du Plessis are slated to face each other at the UFC 297. In January 2024 in Toronto, Strickland will make his first title defense against the South African. Both fighters were also present at the UFC’s seasonal press conference, where they threw intense personal jibes at each other. Things became quite heated.

Dana White and Du Plessis’s statements after the incident

During the press conference, one of the reporters asked Dana White about the brawl outside the octagon. White claimed that it was his mistake. “So what kind of an a**hole sits [Sean] Strickland next to [Dricus] Du Plessis? This a**hole [Pointing towards him]. I do every seating assignment every week.”

“Do you know how f***ing stupid that is? I mean, seriously. Well, I don’t know what human you can sit Strickland next to, but definitely not Du Plessis. You know, I don’t even know how I missed that,” said White.

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Even Du Plessis Du Plessis discussed the incident later. Talking to Megan Oilvi, he said, “Yeah, it’s probably not a good example, but in real things happened and nobody got hurt. It was good.” ‘Stillknocks’ further explained that the bad blood that happened at the previous press conference might be the reason for his attack.

Most of the people who witnessed the brawl called out Strickland as the main instigator of the altercation. However, Bruna Burns’s statement gives us a new story. What are your thoughts in light of this new revelation? Let us know in the comments.

Read More: “Don’t Fight in the Crowd” – Joe Rogan and Co. Blame “Psychopath” Sean Strickland for Dricus Du Plessis Ruckus at UFC 296