Sean Strickland dismissed claims of having a staph infection and expressed his readiness to fight Dricus du Plessis in their upcoming UFC 312 rematch in Sydney, Australia.
Sean Strickland’s in top form and ready to brawl. That’s the word from the ex-middleweight champ, who shot back at Dricus du Plessis on Thursday. Du Plessis had hinted Strickland might’ve brought a nasty infection from the U.S. to Australia.
On Wednesday, du Plessis shared a cheeky Instagram post with side-by-side pics of Strickland, captioned: "What? He grew taller and added staph infection to his arsenal. Oh shit." Quite the jab, huh?
During the UFC 312 pre-fight presser, Strickland was asked if he was battling a staph infection. His response? Classic Strickland. "Listen you motherfckers, I’m immune to staph," he declared. "You see this fcking mustache? I give staph, I don’t f*cking get staph."
He went on, "Calm the fck down. I don’t get sick. I don’t get fcking injured and I don’t get f*cking staph. So relax." Bold words indeed.
For those wondering, staph infections come from staphylococcus bacteria, often lurking on skin. If untreated, they can turn deadly by invading the bloodstream or organs.
These infections look like boils or blisters and spread easily—fighters know this all too well due to close contact in training. Antibiotics are the go-to treatment but can mess with athletes’ performance.
Despite du Plessis’ claims, Strickland insists he’s infection-free and laser-focused on Sunday’s fight. "I’m going to be out there on Sunday and I’m going to come out fcking hard and strong," he said. "The hardest and strongest you’ve ever fcking seen."
The middleweight rivals are set to clash again at UFC 312 in Sydney, Australia. Who will emerge victorious? Time will tell!