Despite losing a one-sided rematch to Dricus du Plessis at UFC 312, Sean Strickland remains in good spirits, expressing gratitude for his supporters and emphasizing resilience in the face of adversity.
Sean Strickland is beaten up, but not beaten down.
His rematch with Dricus du Plessis at UFC 312 didn’t go as planned. Despite losing a one-sided decision to the middleweight champ in Sydney’s main event, Strickland seems to be in good spirits. He shared his thoughts on Instagram Sunday morning.
“What’s up, guys? We’ve been here once or twice,” Strickland began. “I’m so grateful for you guys’ support. Win or lose, you always ride. Hats off to Dricus—hell of a fight. Broke my nose in six places! But hey, there’s a silver lining: it’s easy to reset now.”
“I’ll be quick; I get tons of messages saying, ‘Hold your head up.’ I’m good. Losing sucks, but we all lose in life. People lose jobs, relationships end, and they feel stuck. Me? I love the misery. When you’re suffering and it ends—and it will—life’s good again. Being grateful keeps my head up.”
“So if you’re going through it, look at me. Broke my nose in front of millions! It sucks, but tomorrow’s a new day. Gotta sack up and be a man.”
Strickland faced du Plessis again after their first bout at UFC 297 in January 2024. That night in Toronto, du Plessis narrowly won via split decision, taking the middleweight title from Strickland—a result Strickland protested since. Du Plessis defended the title against Israel Adesanya afterward, while Strickland earned his rematch by defeating Paulo Costa.
However, du Plessis triumphed once more, this time more convincingly. Strickland struggled to mount any meaningful offense during the 25-minute main event and lost by unanimous decision.
Watch Strickland’s video statement and see the accompanying caption below.
Nothing I’d rather do in the world! Thank you for allowing me to do what I love!!! Forever grateful