In an unforeseen turn of events, UFC 297 headliners Sean Strickland and Dricus Du Plessis brought their rivalry to life ahead of schedule during UFC 296 in Las Vegas…
The middleweight contenders, who are scheduled to face off in the main event on January 20th, 2024, couldn’t contain their animosity – leading to a physical altercation at the event.
The incident occurred when Strickland and Du Plessis, seated in close proximity, were captured by the ESPN+ pay-per-view broadcast.
Shortly after the camera shifted away, Strickland lunged towards Du Plessis.
Footage of the altercation, aired post-event by the UFC, showed Strickland navigating through the crowd, asking spectators to clear a path before launching himself at Du Plessis, throwing a barrage of punches.
The scuffle quickly escalated, with both fighters engulfed in a crowd trying to separate them.
Reports indicate that Strickland was subsequently escorted out of the arena by security.
Check out the footage of the brawl on the video below:
The full incident between Sean Strickland and Dricus Du Plessis at #UFC296 tonight.
Bring on #UFC297 in January! pic.twitter.com/HQt0Uj1jiv
— UFC (@ufc) December 17, 2023
The best angle of DDP vs Strickland just dropped #UFC296 @SpinninBackfist pic.twitter.com/2vL9EieMA7
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) December 17, 2023
DDP & STRICKLAND JUST GOT INTO A FIGHT CAGESIDE #UFC296 pic.twitter.com/Pt8FWNMMtR
— Spinnin Backfist (@SpinninBackfist) December 17, 2023
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