Last weekend, fans watched Sean Strickland lose his title hopes via unanimous decision to Dricus du Plessis in their rematch at UFC 312. Du Plessis dominated all five rounds, delivering a top-tier performance. However, Strickland is now facing criticism from Luke Rockhold, who mocked his showing. The two also share some personal history, having crossed paths several times at the RVCA gym years ago.
‘Tarzan’ struggled in his UFC 312 rematch against ‘Stillknocks,’ failing to replicate his past success and suffering a broken nose in the fourth round—despite his pre-fight vow to “fight to the f*cking death.” Rockhold didn’t hold back, telling Ariel Helwani that Strickland quit after the injury instead of pushing through in a title fight. He mocked Strickland for talking a big game but failing to back it up, saying,
“If someone breaks your nose, you’ve got to fight like a fcking man and sack up. We all watched the fight, and we all heard the guy talk about, ‘To the death, Dutchman! To the death!’ This motherf**cker talks such a big game and then he bitches out and basically quits in the fight after he breaks his nose. What are you worried about? You have a title fight. A world title is on the line. That’s all you want.”
Luke Rockhold DID NOT hold back with his thoughts about Sean Strickland's #UFC312 performance. 👀 pic.twitter.com/7XaDx4oS23
— MMA Fighting (@MMAFighting) February 11, 2025
Rockhold also criticized Strickland for prioritizing his broken nose over fighting to win, saying it revealed his true character. He argued that the cage is where a fighter’s toughness is tested.
Khamzat Chimaev Trashes Sean Strickland vs. Dricus Du Plessis Fight at UFC 312
The UFC 312 rematch between Sean Strickland and Dricus Du Plessis delivered intensity but left Khamzat Chimaev unimpressed. Du Plessis dominated Strickland, breaking his nose and securing a unanimous decision win (50-45, 50-45, 49-46) to retain his middleweight title. Despite the five-round battle, Chimaev didn’t see anything special in their performances. Watching from home, he wasted no time slamming the fight on X (formerly Twitter), calling it the “biggest bulls**t fight.”
Biggest bullshit is this fight 🥱🥱🥱
— Khamzat Chimaev (@KChimaev) February 9, 2025
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While the bout lacked excitement until the injury, Dana White has already confirmed Chimaev as the next challenger for the middleweight belt. With ‘Borz’ already exchanging words with Strickland online, fans are now eager to see him step into the octagon for his long-awaited title shot.
Also Read: Belal Muhammad Takes A Nasty Dig On Sean Strickland Following UFC 312 Loss
