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Dricus du Plessis recently opened up about his controversial comments about Sean Strickland at the UFC's seasonal press conference last month. 'Stillknocks' is set to challenge Strickland for the UFC middleweight championship at UFC 297 this weekend.
Given Strickland's reputation as one of the most outspoken fighters in combat sports, it's no surprise that 'Tarzan' chose to get under du Plessis' skin by taunting him on social media and in interviews during the weeks leading up to their fight.
Their online back-and-forth came to a head at the UFC's seasonal presser last month, during which Strickland made some unsavory jokes about his opponent's relationship with his coach. 'Stillknocks' responded by bringing up Strickland's abusive childhood and joked about his tumultuous relationship with his father.
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The South African fighter's comments caused a massive stir among MMA fans online. While some thought his words were fair game, others believed he crossed a line.
In a recent exclusive interview with Andrew Whitelaw for Sportskeeda MMA, du Plessis addressed his comments at the infamous presser and said:
"What happened was, in that press conference, it was very clear that I was very respectful throughout the whole conference... He threw a couple of jabs early on, which I didn't respond to, you know? 'Cause it's Sean Strickland... Then he took his chance to try and bully me and I wasn't going to let that slide and I said what I said. Would I do it again? Yes. I would say the exact same thing."
'Stillknocks' then shared his thoughts on whether there is a limit to trash-talking in MMA and admitted that he believes there should be a line that mustn't be crossed. He said:
"There's an obvious line... You have to realize you're sitting with fighters, firstly. All is fair in love and war, that's the old saying. Do I think that joking about somebody's parents who died [is right]? No, I don't think that's right."
Catch Dricus du Plessis' comments below (5:58):
Dricus du Plessis sympathizes with Sean Strickland for childhood trauma
In the same interview, Dricus du Plessis expressed his sympathy for Sean Strickland and clarified that he felt bad about 'Tarzan' growing up in an abusive home.
Strickland has been quite vocal about his traumatic childhood and has detailed his experience growing up with dysfunctional parents several times in the past. He has also blamed his parents' destructive influence for shaping his outspoken and raw personality.
While du Plessis doesn't regret bringing up Strickland's past as a retort, he does sympathize with the middleweight champion. Speaking to Whitelaw, he said:
"Yeah, I feel sorry for him as a kid. No kid deserves that. That's not your choice, that's a hand you got dealt... A lot of people have been through that, and it's sad. It's part of life. That's not fair, and life's not fair... I'm sorry that happened to him" [5:24]
