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Dricus Du Plessis has revealed how he mocked Sean Strickland after breaking his rival’s nose at UFC 312, where “DDP” retained the middleweight title on Saturday.
Du Plessis beat Strickland on points for the second time in 13 months, retaining the belt that he took from the divisive American in their first fight. The highlight of their rematch, from Du Plessis’s perspective, was a right hand that shattered Strickland’s nose in round four.
Strickland, 33, repeatedly pawed at the bloody mess and told his coach before round five: “It’s broken, I reset it.”
At the post-fight press conference, Du Plessis, 31, said: “I told him he was ugly, obviously, when we fought – because he’s not a pretty person to see.
“When I saw him after that, when I hit him on the nose, I went: ‘Wow.’ I couldn’t believe he got uglier, I was like: ‘Woah.’ I was like: ‘Your nose is so screwed up man.’
“He tried to break his nose back in the middle of the fight, and for some weird reason, I was giving him the opportunity. And then I went: ‘No, punch this guy in the face while he’s trying to do that!’
“I went forward and he kept doing this [fixing nose to the right], but his nose is broken to that side. I was thinking to myself, ‘The other way – you should try and break it the other way,’ because he kept pushing it to the same side it was already broken to.
“He came back after that round, after the break. His nose was straight again, but it was thick. I punched him again and it just broke all the way again. I thought: ‘Aw, it sucks to be you right now.’”
Strickland said in an Instagram video: “Broke my nose in like six places. Silver lining, my nose is so broken it’s easy to reset. That was a new experience.
“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 [they] just find themselves in this hole. 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.”
Strickland had drawn criticism before UFC 312, which took place in Sydney, for labelling Australians “English white trash” and insulting the country’s gun laws and “lack of freedom”.
