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Strickland’s moment of BRUTAL honesty | 01:22
The UFC 312 press conference was, for the most part, everything you would expect.
UFC 312: Du Plessis v Strickland 2 | SUN 9 FEB | UFC middleweight king Dricus du Plessis is headed back Down Under for yet another title defence, with the South African set to face Sean Strickland in a blockbuster UFC 312 headliner in Sydney. | Order Now with Main Event on Kayo Sports. Main Event on Kayo Sports and Foxtel is the exclusive home of UFC Pay-Per-View.
Dricus du Plessis had a response for every one of Sean Strickland’s predictable quips and, at times, almost looked like he was over it all — as if Sunday couldn’t come around soon enough, when he would have a chance to silence the American once and for all.
UFC women’s strawweight champion Weili Zhang and her challenger Tatiana Suarez, who fight in the co-main event, were polite as always in their praise for one another as female leaders and role models in the sport.
But amidst all the swearing and usual trash talk the UFC world has come to expect from Strickland, there was one moment when the former middleweight champion showed a different side.
One reporter began his question by revealing he had spoken to Strickland’s fans outside and they told him they loved the American because he was a “real man”.
“What do you think makes you a real man in the eyes of your fans?” the reporter asked.
It was served on a platter for Strickland to continue on his usual misogynistic and homophobic rant, but this time around he took it in a very surprising direction.
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“You guys are gonna make me drop character for a second,” Strickland replied.
“You know man, I try to be authentic for you guys.”
At which point, one member of the crowd interrupted Strickland as the two engaged in a brief sledging battle, which ended with Strickland telling the fan to “come say it to my face”.
“You know where my hotel is you motherf***er,” he added.
Now that is the Sean Strickland we know all too well. But this Sean Strickland, a much more vulnerable one, continued to open up on Thursday night.
“At the end of the day dude, sometimes you look at us as superstars and we’re just another a***hole out there,” he said.
“We’ve made mistakes dude and I can tell you man, I had no f***ing self-respect before MMA. Before MMA I couldn’t even f***ing look myself in the mirror without hating what I’d seen.
“I still kinda hate myself a little bit. But I will say that through you guys man, you have really made me have a life that I enjoy. I do appreciate you guys and your support.
“Win or lose man, you guys have changed my f***ing life.”
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It was a refreshing break from the usual bravado that the UFC has come to expect from arguably its most polarising fighter.
Although the majority of the press conference included all the usual twists and turns you would expect from Strickland, including his response to a question about what appeared to be a staph infection on his arm.
“Listen you motherf***ers, I’m immune to staph,” he said.
“You see this f***ing moustache? I give staph, I don’t f***ing get staph. Calm the f*** down. I don’t get sick. I don’t get f***ing injured. I don’t get f***ing staph. So relax.
“I’m gonna be out there on Sunday and I’m gonna come out f***ing hard and strong. The hardest and strongest you’ve ever f***ing seen. To the f***ing death.”
