Sean Strickland gave Dricus Du Plessis full credit for defeating him in their UFC 312 rematch.
In his first statement since leaving the octagon after a unanimous decision loss to Du Plessis on Saturday in Sydney, Strickland (29-7 MMA, 16-7 UFC) revealed the extent of the damage to his nose that was a key factor in Du Plessis (23-2 MMA, 9-0 UFC) getting his hand raised.
“Dricus, f*cking hat’s off,” Strickland said in a video on his Instagram account. “Hell of a fight. Broke my nose in like six places. Silver lining, my nose is so broken it’s easy to reset. That was a new experience.”
Strickland, who felt he was “robbed” when Du Plessis got a split decision win in this first meeting at UFC 297 in January 2024, said he is digesting the loss in a positive manner. He said part of him takes some joy in the adversity of the moment, but he’s able to put things in perspective by knowing others experience much worse hardships.
“I’m good. Losing sucks, but we all lose in life. I talk to so many people that lose their job, girlfriend breaks up with them and just find themselves in this whole. I love the misery. I love the suffering, because when you;’re miserable, when you’re in pain and suffering – the moment that’s gone, and it will end and there will be a new day and better day. Life’s good.”
Check out Strickland’s full statement below:
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