Sean Strickland and Dricus Du Plessis have unfinished business. Their first fight at UFC 297 ended in controversy, leaving Strickland fuming and Du Plessis with the middleweight belt. But in the fight game, there’s no better way to settle a score than in the Octagon.

Now, with a rematch set for UFC 312, the tension between the two has reached a boiling point. Their styles clashed once before, and they’re about to collide again. But before fists fly, words took center stage at the UFC 312 press conference.

Sean Strickland fires off an unfiltered tirade at Dricus Du Plessis’s ‘unorthodox’ fighting style  

It all began with a simple question posed to Sean Strickland at the UFC 312 press conference. ‘Tarzan’ was asked whether he feels like he has “unfinished business” with the champion and “how important is this fight to you?” with or without the belt on the line.

As fans at the arena waited, Strickland loaded up his verbal cannon. Without hesitation and with his signature blend of brutal honesty and profanity, ‘Tarzan’ let loose! He stated, “You know man, let me tell you something about ‘The Dutchman’, which is a cool nickname, by the way.”

So far, so good, right? Well, that’s when things reached another level as Strickland continued with, “This man fights like a r*tard on a short bus, and hey, Dricus I respect you for that coz you fight like a f**king maniac.  But, I won that fight and I’m going to win this fight. So f**king saddle up and let’s get it done.”

Du Plessis, however, didn’t flinch. If Strickland was expecting an angry outburst, he didn’t get it. Instead, the South African hit back with a sharp retort of his own. The champion countered with, “Yeah, I fight like somebody on the short bus, but you look like the driver.”

While the eyebrow-raising pre-fight banter has become a trademark of Sean Strickland, he has previously confessed that he believes he was robbed in their first fight. During an interview with MMA Junkie, ‘Tarzan’ confessed, “I feel like more I got robbed, I feel like that headbutt changed things. It changed the optics, the dynamics.”

As such, their rematch at UFC 312 isn’t just about gold—it’s about pride, unfinished business, and proving once and for all who the true king of the middleweight division is. Because ‘Stillknocks’ has only one goal in mind once the Octagon doors lock behind him on February 9!

Du Plessis is looking to leave no doubts about his victory this time around

Dricus Du Plessis has no interest in leaving UFC 312 in the hands of the judges. He learned that lesson the hard way in his first battle with Sean Strickland. Now, with middleweight gold strapped around his waist, he’s determined to make sure there’s no debate about who the rightful king of the division is.

In a conversation with ‘Triple M Radio’ Du Plessis confessed, “In my whole career, I’ve only went the distance twice and both have been incredible fights; I don’t mind the distance if it’s an entertaining fight, I’ve never had a boring fight in my life…”

So what’s his plan this time around? After all, Strickland’s unique striking style has given even elite strikers like Israel Adesanya fits. According to ‘Stillknocks’, “And in this fight, I know I can finish the job [inside the distance]. I don’t see this fight going – I mean, we might see the championship rounds in rounds four and five – but there’s just no way that we’re seeing the final bell…”

A chilling promise, considering what’s at stake. But in a fight where both warriors refuse to take a step back, who will be the one left standing? And who will walk out of the Octagon as the undisputed king of the middleweights? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!