By Fernando Quiles
– December 17, 2023
Dana White has spoken out on the UFC 296 crowd brawl involving Sean Strickland and Dricus Du Plessis.
Strickland and Du Plessis had a heated moment during a press conference the week of UFC 296. Strickland and Du Plessis will do battle for the UFC Middleweight Championship on January 20, but both men were invited to attend UFC 296 in Las Vegas. Prior to UFC 296, Du Plessis mentioned Strickland’s past issues with abuse from his father.
So, one would think that the UFC would’ve kept Strickland and Du Plessis away from each other during the promotion’s final event of 2023. Well, the two ended up being seated right near each other and were involved in a brief brawl in the crowd.
RELATED: SEAN STRICKLAND AND DRICUS DU PLESSIS ISSUE STATEMENTS FOLLOWING PHYSICAL ALTERCATION AT UFC 296
Dana White Takes Blame In Sean Strickland-Dricus Du Plessis Brawl
Dana White took to the UFC 296 post-fight press conference to comment on the Sean Strickland and Dricus Du Plessis brawl, taking blame for the seating arrangement.
Dana White weighs in on the Sean Strickland and Dricus Du Plessis altercation at UFC 296 😅 #MMA #UFC296
— bjpenndotcom (@bjpenndotcom) December 17, 2023
“What kind of an asshole sits Strickland next to Du Plessis? This asshole [Dana pointed at himself], that’s who,” White said. “I do every seating assignments every week. How f*cking stupid is that? I mean, seriously. Well, I don’t know what humans you can sit Strickland next to, but definitely not Du Plessis. I don’t even know how I missed that.”
Luckily for everyone involved, Strickland and Du Plessis appeared to walk away unscathed. In the end, White delivered his vintage line about UFC athletes getting into skirmishes outside the Octagon.
“Listen, this is the business we’re in, I say it all the time,” White said. “Jumped in there, told Strickland to relax, go in the back. He decided to leave, so he left the arena, and Du Plessis is good. We were just literally talking to him right outside the door there. Gentlemen, we are in the fight business.”
