Dana White disapproves of the outcome of the Sean Strickland vs. Dracus Du Plessis fight

Dana White agrees with the judges’ split decision for the fight between Sean Strickland and Dricus du Plessis but the UFC president saw Strickland as the winner.

At UFC 297, Dricus du Plessis became middleweight champion by defeating Sean Strickland. During the UFC 297 press conference, Dana White expressed his disagreement with the outcome of the fight. He said Strickland won the deciding fifth round after four even rounds. He also praised how Strickland used his jab to perfection, targeting Dricus du Plessis’ eyes.

Dana White is honest

“I was 2-2 going into the last round and I thought Strickland won the last round. Um, the guys who were sitting at the same table thought otherwise. You know, it was a close fight. I thought Strickland looked good in the first two rounds. I mean his live performance was magnificent. You don’t see such jabs in MMA. And the jabs did what they were supposed to do. Both of his [du Plessis] eyes were swollen.”

Dana White also suggested that du Plessis didn’t do enough to deprive Strickland of his championship title.

“He slowed down in the third and fourth rounds. Du Plessis continued to advance. You know, he started increasing the takedowns and punches. And I even intended to go until the fifth round. I said to myself: this is the decisive round, “we’ll see who wants it the most”. They both started to gain a little power, which is what we like. But I’m also one of those guys who believes in getting the better of the champion.”