Sean Strickland was not up for making excuses after having his nose broken in his latest effort at the UFC middleweight title.
The beloved former champion was brutalised over five rounds by Dricus Du Plessis, winning just one round on one scorecard in the main event of UFC 312. However, he refused to be bogged down by any explanations, instead simply praising his rival and the fans.
It now remains to be seen where Strickland goes as a title contender as one of the most controversial but popular figures in the division. Meanwhile Du Plessis seems to be heading for a world title defence against Khamzat Chimaev.
Dricus Du Plessis breaks Sean Strickland’s nose in gruesome UFC 312 main event
On Sunday afternoon in Sydney and Saturday night in America, Dricus Du Plessis broke Sean Strickland’s nose on route to ending their lengthy middleweight title rivalry. The pair were tentative early, but eventually the champion had to up the pace and continue winning rounds.
In the fourth, he landed a brutal combination that left Strickland’s nose in gruesome shape and forcing him to constantly check on it amid exchanges. He told his corner between rounds that he had to ‘reset it’, but admitted that the bone was broken.
However, he continued to fight through and refused to slow down, although he was unable to push through and go for a finish. This now leaves Strickland 0-2 in his feud with Du Plessis and likely down the pecking order for another shot at the belt.
Sean Strickland refuses to make excuses in first comments after broken nose
After the fight, Sean Strickland took the microphone from Daniel Cormier and gave an impassioned speech to the packed out Sydney crowd. He won his title in Australia back in 2023 from Israel Adesanya, and is one of the most divisive but beloved fighters when he visits the country.
There's only one Sean Strickland 🤣 #UFC312 pic.twitter.com/asZMxRPooI
— UFC Europe (@UFCEurope) February 9, 2025
“I f—ing love you guys man,” he told the fans, receiving a rapturous round of applause. “When that f—er broke my nose I was like ‘oh that doesn’t f—ing feel right’, popped it back in place and I kept on fighting.
“The Dutchman is a bad motherf—er, he kicked my a– fair and square, props to him. Take your microphone DC I’m leaving but hey you guys I f—ing love you guys, you fuel me and I would break my nose for you guys any day of the week.”