‘I Thought We Got The Job Done’

‘Tarzan’ thought he won.

Sean Strickland’s Middleweight title reign came to an end at UFC 297 last night (Sat., Jan. 20, 2024) when he lost a very close split decision to Dricus Du Plessis from inside Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada (watch highlights). He did pick up an extra $50,000 for his main event battle, winning ‘Fight of the Night.’

It did not take long for the former Middleweight champion to react to his main event loss on social media.

“Big thanks to everyone who supported me!!!!!!!!! Took a headbutt that split open my eye, took a couple rounds to adjust to the blood running in my eyes,” Strickland wrote on his Instagram. “Sucks to lose that way but this is the game! I thought I won even not being able to see out of my left eye but that’s life! Onto the next! Told you I’d bleed for you!!!!!!”

Strickland also took to his Twitter and basically wrote the same thing.

“Well f—k haha… man that headbutt really made it difficult to see but I thought we got the job done,” Strickland wrote. “Blood and all!!! Onto the next one!!! Thanks everyone who supported me!!!!!!

Strickland isn’t the only person who believes he won the fight, as UFC CEO Dana White also thought he edged Du Plessis in the fifth round. Check out the scorecard here.

As for the headbutt Strickland is proclaiming, there hasn’t been any evidence of it to surface on social media yet. Du Plessis was asked during the UFC 297 post-fight press conference (watch here) if he remembered a headbutt during the fight, but he said he didn’t.

Following UFC 297, Strickland had his three-fight win streak snapped, but knowing the madman, he will book another fight on Monday and be back in the cage by March.

For complete UFC 297 results, coverage, and highlights, click HERE.