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,…