Watch: Headbutt That Sean Strickland Claims to Have Cut Him Open Leading to Dricus Du Plessis Win at UFC 297; Fans React

A very subtle but explicit allegation was made by Sean Strickland after his defeat at UFC 297. His sixth loss comes after his failed attempt at his first title defense against Dricus Du Plessis. In all fairness, the about was a tough one to score, but the judges did not have him winning and that was all she wrote. In the post-fight interview, he rightfully gave Du Plessis his due credit and made no excuses.

However, in a Tweet on X, he did insinuate that he sustained a head-butt that caused him a cut, leading to bleeding and impairing his vision. The champion denies this allegation, and seemingly so do the fans.

Fans do not buy it!

The allegation made by the former champion is quite relevant. One, a head-butt is an illegal move that should not have gone unnoticed ideally. Two, if the alleged head-butt caused him a cut that hampered his vision, it could be a serious factor behind his defeat. A user on X, BakankyBro, shared a snippet of their fight with the caption, “The headbutt causing the cut on his left eye in round 4.”

One fan did not consider any merit in the clip as Strickland was cut regardless.

Meanwhile, another fan had a hard time identifying any head-butt in the aforementioned video.

On a similar line, another fan questioned where is head-butt was.

However, on the contrary, one fan did notice a head-butt and found it worthy of criticism.

But yet again, another fan denied a headbutt and noticed something else.

It would be safe to say that the fans, by and large, do not find merit in his allegation. To their support, joins none other than the current champion himself.

Dricus Du Plessis denies allegation made by Sean Strickland

According to the current champion, he did not head-butt Strickland. He was even curious as to where this allegation came from and was completely clueless. When asked, in the post-fight press conference, he stated, “I can’t say I did. It is the first time I have heard of it. I did not feel anything—He said I head-butted him. I can’t remember any head butt.”

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Given that it was a razor-thin margin of victory that left many, including Dana White, in doubt of the judges’ decision, it is not surprising to see the South African not giving an edge to Strickland even after the fight. With no immediate rematch being in discussion, do you think Strickland will cash in this headbutt claim for another shot at gold?

This saga is likely to prolong given the seriousness behind it. So, tell us, what do you think of this debate? Share with us your thoughts in the comments below.

Read more: Dricus Du Plessis’ First Title Defense Already Decided by Dana White, Signals Israel Adesanya & Khamzat Chimaev’s Return After UFC 297