During the final UFC pay-per-view of 2023, UFC 296, the event took an unexpected turn and became memorable for all the wrong reasons. Initially, it was supposed to be a battleground for the highly anticipated fight between Leon Edwards and Colby Covington. However, by the end of the night, fans couldn’t stop talking about the altercation between Sean Strickland and Dricus Du Plessis. While ‘Tarzan’ was seated in the crowd, alongside women and children, enjoying the event, Du Plessis began heckling him.

Unbeknownst to Dana White, Sean Strickland rushed toward Dricus Du Plessis, sparking a rivalry that was set for a showdown at UFC 297 just a few weeks later. In the aftermath of the incident, media outlets branded the former middleweight champ as a “psychopath” and “out of his mind.” Yet, the most surprising development came when the two fighters met just before the fight. This encounter was captured in UFC Embedded No. 3, where ‘Tarzan’ and ‘Stillknocks’  were seen shaking hands, leaving fans bewildered. Just weeks earlier, the two had clashed, but now they appeared to have made amends.

Since then, neither Dricus Du Plessis nor Sean Strickland had addressed the encounter publicly—until now. With the duo set to meet in a rematch at UFC 312 in Australia, the reigning champion recently opened up about their meeting during an appearance on Mike Perry’s ‘OverDogs Podcast.‘ Reflecting on the moment, ‘Stillknocks’ said, “As we were walking into the hotel, I saw Sean Strickland sitting there alone. I think his team’s flight got delayed or something. When I walked up to him, I thought, ‘If something’s going to happen, it’s going to happen right now, and I’m not getting jumped. No way.’ He stood up, and it immediately turned into a friendly conversation. He listened, and he didn’t want me to talk about his childhood, so I said, ‘I’ll respect that.'”

At a press conference in December 2023, Du Plessis referenced Strickland’s relationship with his abusive father; this brought the then-champion to tears. Later, Strickland reached out privately and asked Du Plessis to refrain from the subject. “That’s (Strickland) putting it out there. That’s (him) joking about it… I wasn’t joking about it. … Do I think it’s good? No, I think it’s terrible what happened to him. I was completely respectful to Sean Strickland that whole press conference,” DDP said.

In their last encounter at UFC 297 in Canada, Dricus Du Plessis not only dethroned Sean Strickland as the middleweight champion but also broke him mentally. Despite this setback, ‘Tarzan’ bounced back, securing a victory against Paulo Costa a few months later. Meanwhile, the reigning champion has already defended his title, making history by becoming the first fighter to submit former champion Israel Adesanya at UFC’s last outing in Australia. Although ‘Stillknocks’ recent revelation may lead some to label him as the “good boy,” he’s not quite ready to accept that title. Curious why? Keep reading to find out.

Dricus Du Plessis’ cold prediction for a rematch with Sean Strickland

The bout between Sean Strickland and Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 297 went the full five rounds, with the reigning champion securing a close split-decision victory. However, the outcome sparked debate among fans and fighters alike, as ‘Tarzan’ remained active throughout the fight, landing consistent jabs and even swelling Du Plessis’ eye. In response, ‘Stillknocks’ showcased his wrestling skills, mixing in takedowns during the intense battle.

With the fight being so close, one judge even leaned towards Sean Strickland. The former middleweight champ, unhappy with the result, has since labeled it a “robbery.” Now, as the rematch draws near, Dricus Du Plessis is determined to silence any lingering doubts about his performance. In a bold statement ahead of UFC 312, he declared, “This time, they won’t call it a robbery, they’ll call it attempted mu-der. #UFC312 #preparetobeamazed.”

As fans eagerly anticipate the rematch, the question remains: can Sean Strickland reclaim his crown and dethrone Drcus Du Plessis to become the division king once again? Or will the reigning champion prove that his victory was no fluke and emerge victorious for the second time? Share your thoughts below.