Former UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland apparently believes he got headbutted that caused a nasty cut on his eye late in the fight.
After his split decision loss to Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 297, Strickland complained of a headbutt during the fight in several social posts.
“Well f— haha… man that headbutt really made it difficult to see but I thought we got the job done. Blood and all!!! Onto the next one!!! Thanks everyone who supported me!!!!!!
‘Big thanks to everyone who supported me!!!!!!!!! Took a headbutt that split open my eye, took a couple rounds to adjust to the blood running in my eyes…. Sucks to lose that way but this is the game! I thought I won even not being able to see out of my left eye but that’s life! Onto the next! Told you I’d bleed for you!!!!!!”
Strickland showed off the stitches over his eye in a video on Instagram post.
Sean Strickland says that the headbutt made it difficult to see, but still believes he won the fight (via. X)
“The headbutt kinda f****** sucked”#UFC #MMA #UFC297 pic.twitter.com/qp2EMHcQIt
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) January 21, 2024
During his postfight press conference, Dricus Du Plessis denied headbutting Strickland.
“No, I can’t say that I did,” Du Plessis said. “It’s the first time I’m hearing of it. No, I didn’t feel a head butt during the fight. … No, I can’t remember any head butt.”
There’s still no definitive video evidence of a headbutt that caused the cut over Strickland’s eye.
