Sean Strickland's social media following witnesses exponential growth throughout fight week ahead of UFC 297 headliner

According to a list compiled by media personality Jed I. Goodman, Sean Strickland's Instagram and X handles have seen unprecedented growth in the lead-up to his fight against Dricus du Plessis.

The middleweight champion's X handle started gaining considerable traction last Friday, raking in a couple hundred followers. The momentum has only increased as fight week has progressed with Strickland gaining over 20,000 followers on Thursday. He currently boasts around 365,000 followers on the platform.

His Instagram has witnessed an even steeper growth, with him gaining a couple thousand followers since last Friday and a whopping 27,808 followers just yesterday. He currently has 1.4 million followers on Instagram.

This growth of his social media presence can be attributed to the turbulent build-up to the fight, from du Plessis dragging in his opponent's abusive childhood during the 2024 seasonal press conference, to Strickland's emotional interview with comedian Theo Von addressing his dark past. The pair's all-out brawl at UFC 296 also significantly elevated the allure of their upcoming clash.

Strickland will take on du Plessis this Saturday at UFC 297 at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Per a report by The Athletic, the champion is a -125 favorite over the challenger (+105) for the match-up.

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Sean Strickland addresses dangers against Dricus du Plessis

During a recent interview with Megan Olivi, Sean Strickland identified Dricus du Plessis' awkward style as being his opponent's most potent weapon.

'Stillknocks' has surprised many with his meteoric rise in the UFC. Along his way to the title shot, the South African has taken out a veritable list of competition, including former champion Robert Whittaker.

Detailing the challenge the South African would pose at UFC 297 this weekend, Strickland said:

"It's just he is awkward, he is just f*****g awkward. You know, it's like when you're that level of awkward, you just do weird s**t that works. He is tough, he fights hard, you know... His coach always keeps him hard, keeps him ready. Yeah, I mean, he is just f*****g awkward dude."

Catch Sean Strickland's comments below (15:41):