Dricus Du Plessis has revealed that he refused to press charges against Sean Strickland for the UFC 296 incident.
The two will lock horns for the middleweight belt in less than two weeks at UFC 297, ahead of which they have become fierce rivals.
Dricus Du Plessis stirred up some tension with his American opponent during the promotion’s 2024 seasonal press conference, where he brought up remarks about the champion’s challenging upbringing, particularly focusing on his relationship with his father.
The heated exchange continued publicly at UFC 296, with both fighters trading shots in the crowd, leading to the possibility of legal action and a substantial fine, especially if Du Plessis decided to take action since Strickland attacked him.
In an interview with MMA Junkie, Du Plessis revealed the conversation he had with Dana White backstage and why he refused to press charges.
“I know Dana came to me and said, ‘Listen, this is the case,” du Plessis said. “We’re really sorry about this. Obviously, the police had him and charges can be pressed because that’s assault. It’s outside of a professional arena. They didn’t try to convince me otherwise at all. They literally said, ‘If you feel like that was uncalled for, we completely understand if you want to press charges and take this further.’ I said, ‘No, no, no, no, no. Please no.’ We are two fighters. It was a good old scrap like we did before we became professionals. I just paused and was like, ‘I would even take the blame if that’s possible, just to make sure that nothing happens to him.’”
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