Jun 1, 2024; Newark, New Jersey, USA; Sean Strickland (red gloves) fights Paulo Costa (blue gloves) during UFC 302 at Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

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UFC 312: Sean Strickland, Dricus Du Plessis Share Valentine’s Day Message For Each Other

Sean Strickland and Dricus Du Plessis exchanged fiery Valentine's Day messages, setting the stage for their UFC 312 showdown!

Jun 1, 2024; Newark, New Jersey, USA; Sean Strickland (red gloves) fights Paulo Costa (blue gloves) during UFC 302 at Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

The wild rivalry between Sean Strickland and Dricus Du Plessis just keeps giving fans memorable moments. These two UFC middleweights have shared the octagon in a brutal five-round war, traded personal insults that crossed several lines, and now they are giving us an unexpected Valentine’s Day twist.

Their story started as a typical UFC rivalry but quickly turned into one of the most talked about feuds in recent memory. This was complete with that infamous UFC 297 press conference where emotions ran higher than anyone expected.

Also Read: When Is The UFC 312 Pre- Fight Press Conference? Du Plessis vs. Strickland 2 Press Conference Time, Date and Venue

UFC 312: Love Is In The Air

The bad blood between these two has now taken an amusing turn. Both these fighters were asked to pen down a valentine message for each other by media member Jon Bernard. In a move that perfectly captures the bizarre nature of their relationship, Du Plessis played along by crafting a cheeky Valentine’s poem for his rival-turned-nemesis. He wrote:

“Dear Sean. Are you willing to bleed for love? Me neither. But I am willing to kill you for that belt. Love, DDP.”

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A post shared by Jon-Bernard Kairouz (@jonbernardk)

Strickland, true to his unfiltered personality, wanted no part of this romantic event. He responded with his characteristic bluntness and dismissed the whole idea as “gay,” a response that’s problematic but entirely on-brand for the former champ.

UFC 312: The Upcoming Rematch

Dricus Du Plessis enters as the newly crowned champion after taking Strickland’s belt in their first meeting. That fight was a back-and-forth war that saw both men badly hurt but showed Du Plessis’ championship mettle as he pulled away in the championship rounds. ‘Stilllknocks’ has since defended his belt once against Israel Adesanya, becoming the first fighter to submit him.

As for Sean Strickland, he won a unanimous decision victory against Paulo Costa. There were several rumors earlier that Khamzat Chimaev might get the title shot. But, Dana White, true to his word, put Strickland up for the rematch.

This rematch carries massive implications beyond just the middleweight title. For Du Plessis, it’s a chance to prove his first victory wasn’t a fluke and establish himself as the undisputed king of the division. Strickland, on the other hand, is fighting to reclaim more than just the belt. He is looking to avenge a loss that clearly still stings, especially given how personal things got between them.

(Image Credit: Joe Camporeale – Imagn Images)

Dricus Du Plessis

Sean Strickland

UFC 312

Zaid Quraishi

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I am a dedicated MMA and Boxing content writer at The Playoffs. I was instantly hooked on MMA after watching the fight between Lyoto Machida vs. Gegard Mousasi back in 2014, and since then, i have been an avid writer with a deep love for the sport and its techniques, providing readers with a thorough understanding of the sport. My favorite aspect of working at The Playoffs is the creative freedom it provides. The diverse range of topics, from listicles and SEO to news articles, keeps me engaged and motivates me to continuously improve my skills! I aim to capture the excitement of the combat sports world in my writing, acting as the middleman between fighters and their die-hard fans. It is kind of like a referee, but with words!