Sean Strickland issues unfiltered reaction to Dricus du Plesiss' fiery retort to no-takedown challenge: "You want to f*****g cuddle on the ground?"

Things are starting to heat up between Sean Strickland and Dricus du Plessis ahead of their UFC 312 middleweight title rematch. Strickland recently called for an agreement to keep the fight standing, but du Plessis quickly rejected the idea.

The South African UFC middleweight champion claimed that fighters should adapt to the fight, pointing out that Strickland’s approach was unrealistic for an MMA contest. Du Plessis explained that he is comfortable fighting anywhere and doesn’t adhere to pre-fight pacts.

Strickland hit back by mocking du Plessis’ style and questioning his ground game. Shedding light on his rival's comments during a recent interview with MMA Junkie, Strickland said:

"I talk a lot of sh*t bro and I don't give a f*ck. Wrestle all you want my man. It's funny for one-liners but you're an MMA fighter, I'm an MMA fighter. You want to grab my leg, you want to f*cking cuddle on the ground dude go full send."

Check out Sean Strickland's comments below (3:15):

Despite Strickland’s call to keep the fight on the feet, du Plessis made it clear that he would not shy away from using his grappling when needed. He also questioned Strickland’s pre-fight talk, accusing him of being a “fake tough guy” who failed to deliver on his promises during their first meeting. Their previous encounter at UFC 297 saw du Plessis claim the middleweight title with a split decision win, courtesy of six successful takedowns.

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Sean Strickland warns Dricus du Plessis ahead of UFC 312

Sean Strickland believes he was robbed in his first fight at UFC 297 against Dricus du Plessis. The American plans to prove he’s the superior fighter when he locks horns with du Plessis at UFC 312.

During the aforementioned interview with MMA Junkie, Strickland labeled du Plessis as a “wrecking ball” but insists he’s a “scalpel." Strickland believes that the judges were influenced by a headbutt in their first bout, which altered the fight’s dynamic. He said:

“It comes down to what I said before about f*cking Dricus on that short bus. I respect him for it. He goes f*cking full send... full f*cking send, and I respect him for that. But you know, you’re a wrecking ball, I’m a f*cking scalpel."

Strickland added:

“It just comes down to who’s better. I think I was better last time, I think I’m better this time. I think I’m going to f*cking piece you apart. Your face will look the exact same after, if not worse.”

Check out the first fight between Sean Strickland and Dricus du Plessis below: