“Please no” - Dricus du Plessis reveals he refused to press charges against Sean Strickland for UFC 296 crowd-side attack because of "honor"

Dricus du Plessis continues to milk his interaction with Sean Strickland at UFC 296 ahead of their scheduled title fight.

In an interview with MMA Junkie, Du Plessis boasted about his decision not to press charges against Strickland for the champion assaulting him in the crowd at the T-Mobile Arena. The South African claimed Dana White told him he had the option to do so with the police present, but told the UFC CEO that it was just 'a good old scrap.'

When talking about his interaction with White on the potential of pressing charges, Du Plessis said:

"I said: 'No. Please no.' We are two fighters. It was a good old scrap like we did before we became professionals ... I would even take the blame if that's possible, just to make sure that nothing happens to him."

Explaining his decision, Du Plessis stated that he feared the fight would be in jeopardy if Strickland faced legal consequences, saying that Canada is a 'very, very strict country.' The fighter even claimed that he was 'happy' for Strickland after the incident was over.

Du Plessis said:

"I told him, 'What are you gonna do about it?' He stood up for himself. That's what a real man does. I'm happy for him. I'm glad he has that in him."

When discussing the matchup with MMA Junkie's Mike Bohn, 'Still Knocks' told the reporter that he feels that he has a mental edge over Strickland after the press conference and UFC 296 interactions.

Sean Strickland and Dricus du Plessis headline UFC 297 on Jan. 20 for the UFC middleweight championship.

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Dricus du Plessis' UFC career

Ahead of his first UFC title shot at UFC 297, Dricus du Plessis feels confident that he will be the next middleweight champion.

At 29 years old, Du Plessis is a former champion with KSW after knocking out Roberto Soldic in 2018. Though Soldic would exact revenge with his own knockout six months later, Du Plessis has not lost since, including going 6-0 in the UFC.

The middleweight would enter the UFC with a bang, violently knocking out Markus Perez and Trevin Giles before entering the divisional rankings with a decision win over Brad Tavares.

The nod over Tavares remains his only decision win in the UFC to date, as the South African has finished ranked opponents Darren Till, Derek Brunson and Robert Whittaker. The stunning upset win over Whittaker earned Du Plessis his title shot at UFC 297.