UFC 296 was one of this week’s highlights. While the inside of the Octagon often attracts all eyes, it was the outside that got a lot of attention. On December 16th, whilst the Octagon was busy, Sean Strickland and Dricus Du Plessis went up in arms among the spectators.

Now, former middleweight champ Robert Whittaker has thoughts on it. Dana White specifically admitted that he takes care of the seating personally. And he also confessed how his mistake was just something that was overlooked. But was it all a clever ploy?

Robert Whittaker on the brawl including Sean Strickland

Robert Whittaker is one reliable fighter who always delivers an entertaining performance. So naturally, he knows what it looks like when he sees a scuffle. The fighter recently showed up on MMA Arcade Podcast to speak about all things fight. And here, the UFC 296 scuffle came up quick.

“I thought it was staged mate honestly,” Whittaker said. “Cause like it was weird. It was weird the way it happened. Like you saw it obviously, so you saw the way Strickland was like ‘Move aside please,’ makes sense. But he jumps in like WWE style, the way he was punching . . . maybe it was just for entertainment.”

With the WWE merged with the UFC, are their tactics merging as well? UFC CEO Dana White is a mastermind when it comes to promotion and he admitted that he specifically set things up for Strickland and Du Plessis to be seated next to each other.

“So, what kind of as*hole sits Sean Strickland next to Dricus Du Plessis? This as*hole,” White said, pointing at himself with a grin that could mean a few things. Either White was genuinely embarrassed or it was, after all, a promotion tactic. Interestingly, this wasn’t the only outside-cage event that shocked the people.

Aljamain Sterling couldn’t even make it in

How would you feel if you were a former bantamweight champion of the UFC and you don’t even get to watch live? Especially after booking your tickets. This is exactly what happened to ‘Funk Master‘ at UFC 296. Fans found him outside of the T-Mobile Arena gruntled and annoyed. He refused to take pictures with them and looked frustrated.

Also Read: Sean Strickland and Dricus du Plessis’s UFC 296 Brawl Footage Leaked as Dana White & Co. Cause Blunder Just Weeks From UFC 297 Main Event

He would later take to his X account to report that his tickets were “pulled” and that he wouldn’t be allowed to enter the arena unless he bought new tickets as fans. Finally, he found it best to go and find a bar to watch it from instead. He found a Las Vegas bar called ‘Flankers’ that helped him keep up with the fights as they went on. But one can only imagine his displeasure with the UFC. Do you think this is fair treatment?

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