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One of the most loved MMA fighters of UFC, Tony Ferguson, recently fought at UFC 296 against Paddy Pimblett. While the whole crowd in the arena watched carefully, an unexpected brawl broke out in the T-Mobile Arena. It involved the UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland and his next title-fight opponent, Dricus Du Plessis.

Apparently, all has not been well between Strickland and his title challenger. The two have had some brutal exchanges in the recent UFC Press Conference. Now, this brawl has taken their rivalry to the next level.

Sean Strickland and Dricus Du Plessis separated at UFC 296

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It seems like fights were happening both in and out of the octagon at UFC 296. UFC legend Tony Ferguson faced rising star Paddy Pimblett in the second fight of the main card. However, this did not stop rivals Strickland and Dricus Du Plessis from getting into an altercation. Perhaps the promotion did not consider the impact of seating two rivals close to each other.

Both MMA stars were present live at the event, and clearly could not keep calm. While the bout was going on, they engaged in a brawl and had to be separated. Moreover, Dana White and Jon Anik had to step in to restore order. Later, the UFC middleweight champion was escorted out of the building. Now, fans will be waiting to hear more from the UFC CEO.

Bantamweight title challenger Marlon Vera could be seen getting excited in the background. Meanwhile, UFC featherweight champion, Alexander Volkanovski, who had a front-row seat to the whole situation, chimed in on X.

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Alexander Volkavovski reacts to the brawl

Moments after the brawl, popular MMA reporter Ariel Helwani took to X to reveal some details about the incident. According to Helwani, the altercation between the two MMA fighters took place moments after they came on screen!

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“Seconds after they just showed Strickland and DDP on TV, they got into almost came to blows. A whole scene,” he wrote. Reacting to this, came out UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski. With a touch of sarcasm, he wrote – “They definitely came to blows”.

Both Strickland and Volkanovski will be defending their titles in the opening months of 2024 and both of them came face-to-face with their opponents at the seasonal press conference on Friday. The middleweights will clash in Toronto in January while the featherweight showdown (Volkanovski vs. Ilia Topuria) is set to go down in Anaheim in February.

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This unexpected incident featuring Strickland and Du Plessis has increased excitement for their UFC 297 fight in January 2024. Who are you rooting for? Let us know in the comments below.