"He bout to maul Sean" - Fans react as Dricus Du Plessis wraps up UFC 297 training camp
Dricus Du Plessis is gearing up to face UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland in the headline bout of UFC 297. The first pay-per-view event of 2024 is slated to take place at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Canada, on Jan. 20.
It appears that the South African has concluded his training camp in preparation for his first title fight. Du Plessis recently shared details about his readiness via Instagram and expressed confidence that the upcoming bout will showcase his optimal performance. He wrote:
"That’s a wrap! The hard part of camp is in the books, prepare to see the best 'Stillknocks' by far step in there on Jan. 20."
Check out Dricus Du Plessis' post below:
Fans responded to Du Plessis' post with various reactions.
One wrote:
"In two weeks and one day South African MMA is going to reach a height we have never seen before and I cannot wait"
Another commented:
"KO! The belt is coming home 🇿🇦 he's always trying to prove he's a real man by bashing other people but the taste of his own medicine makes him cry 😂 in the cage there's no security 👍😁 finish him 'Stillknocks'
Check out some more reactions below:
"He bout to maul Sean"
"You’re gonna gas in the middle of the second round as usual."
Du Plessis secured a TKO victory over Derek Brunson at UFC 285 in March 2023. Just four months later, 'Stillknocks' faced Robert Whittaker as a significant underdog at UFC 290. However, he surprised many by scoring his second knockout win of the year, earning himself the position of the next title challenger.
Meanwhile, Strickland received the title shot after defeating Abus Magomedov in July 2023 and replacing an injured Du Plessis against then-champion Israel Adesanya at UFC 293 in Sept. Despite entering the fight as a big underdog, Strickland dominated 'The Last Stylebender' for the full five rounds, with all three judges scoring the bout 49-46 in favor of the American.
Why did Dricus Du Plessis and Sean Strickland engage in a brawl at UFC 296?
Sean Strickland and Dricus Du Plessis clashed in a tumultuous altercation at the UFC 296 event held at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas last month.
The tension between the two fighters escalated when 'Stillknocks' mocked Strickland's childhood traumas during the UFC 2024 seasonal press conference.
Infuriated by these remarks, 'Tarzan' confronted Du Plessis in a heated exchange, resulting in a ringside brawl during the final PPV of 2023.