Sean Strickland’s ire toward Dricus Du Plessis ahead of their UFC 297 middleweight title fight is legitimate, according to his head coach Eric Nicksick.
What started as a fairly routine title booking between Strickland (28-5 MMA, 15-5 UFC) and Du Plessis (20-2 MMA, 6-0 UFC) for the Jan. 20 pay-per-view headliner at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto has turned both physical and personal in the lead-up to the event.
During a seasonal press conference earlier this month, Strickland and Du Plessis used their first face-to-face opportunity to hurl personal insults and, in the case of a challenger, cut deep with some harsh words. The next night at UFC 296 in Las Vegas, Strickland jumped Du Plessis in a viral cageside skirmish, adding to the tension between the two sides.
