Tag: UFC 297

Sean Strickland responds to Jon Anik’s frustration with MMA fans: ‘These people are the way you have a paycheck’

Sean Strickland fires back at UFC commentator Jon Anik.

[autotag]Sean Strickland[/autotag] has fired back at UFC commentator [autotag]Jon Anik[/autotag] for airing his frustration with the MMA fan base.

Anik revealed this week that he’s been feeling disappointed with the MMA community, given the negative comments and criticism he’s seen from fans following Strickland’s split decision loss to Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 297. Anik believes fans, who are supporting Strickland (28-6 MMA, 15-6 UFC), are unjustly throwing attacks despite pundits and analysts trying to be as objective as possible when discussing Strickland’s defeat.

Anik went as far as saying that he’s been questioning his future in MMA, and has considered pivoting to working with the NFL, given the toxicity of the MMA fan base. Strickland thinks this is a good idea.

“What I’d say to Jon Anik calling MMA fans “The lowest common denominator,” these people are (the) way you have a paycheck, and you make way more than most,” Strickland wrote on X. “Maybe the NFL is a better choice for you than MMA. Also, you guys are a bunch of savage c*nts. I’m here for it.”

Strickland lost his UFC middleweight title in the main event of UFC 297 in Toronto. It was a competitive fight that had some people scoring the fight in his favor – including UFC CEO Dana White.

Two judges scored the fight 48-47 in favor of Du Plessis, while the third scored it 48-47 Strickland’s way. Regardless of the result, it was a competitive fight where both fighters had their moments.

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Jon Anik worn down by UFC fanbase negativity, ponders future: ‘Not sure how much longer I have in this space’

Jon Anik admits the growing toxicity from UFC fans (“the venom,” he calls it) could run him out of the sport.

UFC play-by-play commentator Jon Anik is worn down by the streamline of negative comments, tweets and messages from the MMA fanbase, particularly in the wake of UFC 297.

Dricus Du Plessis and Sean Strickland fought in a closely contested battle Saturday in Toronto. While the fight was viewed as a toss-up by some, the reactions from critics of Du Plessis’ decision victory left a bad taste in Anik’s mouth – one he admits continues to get more sour as time goes on.

The wave of pessimism was not an isolated incident. As much as he tries to interact with fans on social media, Anik said the attitudes reciprocated have turned him off.

“I try to be that accessible conduit for the fans, “Anik said on the “Anik & Florian Podcast.” “What I’m finding is that 90 percent of what I am sifting through is negative. A lot of those comments are said in an antagonistic, attacking-type of way. I’ve got three kids and just better things to do with my time, but again, I’m trying to be accessible. Especially after a fight like this, I want to be able to engage.

“But when I see the venom that some of the people are coming at us with, it just makes me disengage. I guess maybe my thesis statement should be if you see me disengage and not be as omnipresent or accessible on X, it’s because the fanbase is starting to turn me off. … This sport is getting worse by the minute in terms of all the negativity.”

Anik, a UFC commentator since 2011, admitted the growing attacks and projection of gloom have him reconsidering his professional involvement with the sport.

“I am growing tired of this MMA space a little bit and just the morass of negativity when there is a close fight,” Anik said. “Because even if you and I both thought Dricus Du Plessis won the fight, we try to present that information respectfully. When I go onto X or I go to our YouTube comments, it just seems like a lot of these fans are just in attack mode. I don’t know if these fans are casual fans or not, but I appreciate the passion. But I’m getting to the point at 45 years of age where I don’t know how much time I have left in this MMA space because if I go do pro football, I’m not going to necessarily be dealing with this lowest common denominator all the time. I don’t know, man.

“I just feel like there’s a lot of malice and disrespect from the fanbase. We can disagree. Don’t take it from me. Demetrious Johnson and Kenny Florian thought DDP won the fight. I don’t know. I’ve just been very off-put with the negativity that has permeated my feed since Saturday night. I’m just not sure how much longer I have in this space.”

Video: Incredible scenes show UFC champ Dricus Du Plessis receive hero’s welcome in South Africa

Newly crowned UFC champ Dricus Du Plessis has put South African MMA on the map in a major way, and the fans there love it.

[autotag]Dricus Du Plessis[/autotag] has put South African MMA on the map in a major way.

Du Plessis (21-2 MMA, 7-0 UFC) outlasted Sean Strickland in this past Saturday’s UFC 297 headliner to claim the middleweight title. The former two-division EFC champion became South Africa’s first UFC champion and only the fourth African champ in company history.

Check out the reception Du Plessis received when he landed at O.R. Tambo International Airport in Kempton Park as a massive amount of fans gathered to cheer him on and chant his name (via eNCA).

And here’s an incredible point-of-view angle of fans greeting Du Plessis:

https://www.instagram.com/p/C2g3mP0oTJW/

After beating Strickland, Du Plessis turned his attention to former champion Israel Adesanya, whom he was previously on a collision course with.

“There was another guy who tried to take my shine,” Du Plessis said in his post-fight interview in the octagon. “He lost his shine. Now, I have your shine. You didn’t get into the cage tonight, but Israel Adesanya, get your ass back in the UFC so we can settle the score.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 297.

Henry Cejudo: UFC champ Dricus Du Plessis should tell Israel Adesanya to ‘take a hike’

Henry Cejudo advises Dricus Du Plessis to go after fellow UFC champ Alex Pereira, not Israel Adesanya.

[autotag]Henry Cejudo[/autotag] advises [autotag]Dricus Du Plessis[/autotag] to go after [autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag], not [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag].

During the UFC 297 pre-fight news conference, Du Plessis (21-2 MMA, 7-0 UFC) expressed interest in eventually moving up to light heavyweight to face champion Pereira (9-2 MMA, 6-1 UFC) if he were to beat Sean Strickland and win the middleweight title.

Du Plessis dethroned Strickland to claim the belt in this past Saturday’s headliner but turned his attention to former champ Adesanya (24-3 MMA, 13-3 UFC). Cejudo thinks that was a mistake and that Du Plessis should try and lure Pereira back down to middleweight.

“I say you make Israel Adesanya take a hike,” Cejudo said on his YouTube channel. “I say you make Israel Adesanya maybe fight somebody before he actually fights you and actually take the fight that really matters more for your accolades, and his name is Alex Pereira. Alex Pereira is a really big middleweight, that the fact that he went up to light heavyweight and still looks bigger than all those dudes as well.

“But that being said, him coming down to 185 pounds once again, and if you get a victory over a guy like Alex Pereira, you know what that guarantees you? That guarantees you a title shot at 205 pounds. Why do I say that? Why do I say pick Alex Pereira? You know why? Because Israel Adesanya will always be there. Alex Pereira, who knows, man? He goes up against (Magomed) Ankalaev, I’m not sure if he could beat Ankalaev.”

Cejudo pointed to himself as an example when he was in pursuit of dual-champ status, which he successfully achieved.

“If he’s talking about going back down one more time at 185 pounds, you welcome him,” Cejudo said. “You welcome him because once you get that victory, you know what that does to you? That allows you to go up and challenge the guy at 205 pounds. That’s what happened to me the first time when I beat Demetrious Johnson. Demetrious Johnson didn’t want to fight T.J. Dillashaw. You know what I did? I stole that storyline.”

Despite Pereira’s size, Cejudo doesn’t count out Du Plessis’ chances against him.

“If I’m in your position right now, you know what I do to Israel Adesanya, take a hike,” Cejudo said. “Wait for me until 2027 like you said you wanted to retire. Bring out Alex Pereira. Allow me to beat up the face of the UFC, and it guarantees you Dricus Du Plessis another title shot at 205 pounds. Your wrestling is probably going to overwhelm him unless you allow him to kick you, which I don’t think you will. Plus, you have kicks of your own too out of southpaw.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 297.

Robert Whittaker: Dricus Du Plessis ‘wanted it more’ than Sean Strickland at UFC 297, outcome not controversial

Robert Whittaker disagrees with the notion that there’s controversy surrounding the UFC 297 headliner.

[autotag]Robert Whittaker[/autotag] disagrees with the notion that there’s controversy surrounding the UFC 297 headliner.

[autotag]Dricus Du Plessis[/autotag] (21-2 MMA, 7-0 UFC) edged out [autotag]Sean Strickland[/autotag] (28-6 MMA, 15-6 UFC) by split decision to claim the middleweight title Saturday at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto.

The likes of UFC CEO Dana White and Joe Rogan had Strickland winning, but Whittaker scored Rounds 2,3,4 and 5 for Du Plessis. He credits Du Plessis for outlasting Strickland in a battle that left both fighters marked up.

“I don’t know why it’s controversial,” Whittaker said on his MMArcade Podcast. “I’ve seen a lot of other fighters and even Dana White himself saying he didn’t think he won the fight. In my opinion, I thought he won the fight. I don’t like blurring the lines, but I will say congratulations to Dricus because he wanted it. … I said he’s a big, strong guy, and he’s awkward as hell to fight.

“But one of his things is he goes out on his shield. He’s not going to go away. He will not give up. He’ll need to leave that octagon on a stretcher, and that’s exactly what he did. That’s exactly what he showed. I will say congratulations to the new champ because he wanted it more.”

Whittaker’s (25-7 MMA, 15-5 UFC) most recent loss came to Du Plessis by TKO at UFC 290 in what was considered a big upset. The former champion admits he underestimated Du Plessis.

“Seeing that fight from him, it made me realize that I did not prepare adequately for him,” Whittaker said. “I did not give him the respect he deserved. I understand he was a hard and tough fighter, but I don’t think I understood how tough and strong and hungry he really was, and respect to that. I won’t make that mistake again.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 297.

Garrett Armfield hopes win over two-time ‘TUF’ winner Brad Katona gives him post-UFC 297 surge

Garrett Armfield won for the second straight time after a loss in his UFC debut 18 months ago.

TORONTO – [autotag]Garrett Armfield[/autotag] beat Brad Katona with a unanimous decision Saturday on the preliminary card at UFC 297 at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto.

Take a look inside the fight with Armfield, who won for the second straight time after a loss in his UFC debut 18 months ago.

USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings, Jan. 23: Dricus Du Plessis, Raquel Pennington take No. 1 spots

Check out the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings following UFC 297 in Toronto.

The UFC’s first pay-per-view event of 2024 in Toronto produced a few moves in this week’s rankings update.

At UFC 297, two new champions were crowned at Scotiabank Arena, as Dricus Du Plessis and Raquel Pennington claimed gold.

In the main event, Du Plessis became the middleweight champion by defeating Sean Strickland in a close split decision. Entering the event as the No. 4 middleweight in the USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie divisional rankings, Du Plessis jumps up to No. 1 after winning the title. He also takes the No. 8 spot in the men’s pound-for-pound rankings.

In the co-feature, Pennington became the women’s bantamweight champion by winning a unanimous decision against Mayra Bueno Silva. Pennington climbs one spot to take No. 1 as the new champ. She also makes a move on the women’s P4P list, settling in at No. 7.

Check out all the latest pound-for-pound and divisional USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 297.

Video: Dricus Du Plessis changed the UFC middleweight landscape. So, who’s next?

Our “Spinning Back Clique” discusses Dricus Du Plessis’ title win at UFC 297 and who should be his first title challenger.

The UFC’s middleweight division has a new champion in [autotag] Dricus Du Plessis[/autotag].

The South African claimed gold by edging out a split decision over Sean Strickland in the UFC 297 main event in Toronto. It was a razor-thin fight, with many believing either fighter should have walked out of Scotiabank Arena with the title.

Du Plessis got the nod, and now it’s time to look at who he will share the octagon with for his first title defense. Should the UFC run it back with Strickland or is it time to settle things with Israel Adesanya?

That’s what our “Spinning Back Clique” of Mike Bohn, Matthew Wells, and Brian “Goze” Garcia discussed along with host “Gorgeous” George Garcia.

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You can watch their discussion in the video above, and check out this week’s episode below on YouTube or in podcast form.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 297.

Ramon Taveras wants trilogy fight with Serhiy Sidey after controversial split decision at UFC 297

Ramon Taveras moved to 1-1 against Serhiy Sidey with a controversial early stoppage loss on DWCS and Saturday’s split call victory.

TORONTO – [autotag]Ramon Taveras[/autotag] beat Serhiy Sidey with a split decision Saturday on the preliminary card at UFC 297 at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto.

Take a look inside the fight with Taveras, who moved to 1-1 against Serhiy Sidey with a controversial early stoppage loss on DWCS and Saturday’s split call victory.

Michael Bisping: Just fighting behind jab cost Sean Strickland in UFC 297 loss to Dricus Du Plessis

Michael Bisping thinks Sean Strickland needed to diversify his offense at UFC 297.

[autotag]Michael Bisping[/autotag] thinks [autotag]Sean Strickland[/autotag] needed to diversify his offense at UFC 297.

Strickland (28-6 MMA, 15-6 UFC) lost his middleweight title to [autotag]Dricus Du Plessis[/autotag] (21-2 MMA, 7-0 UFC) by split decision in Saturday’s main event at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto. Strickland’s jab allowed him to dictate the pace in Round 1, but Bisping wanted to see him put together more combinations. He scored the fight for Du Plessis.

“Now for Sean Strickland, OK, he went out and he had a great fight, but he lost,” Bisping said on his YouTube channel. “He fought predominantly behind the jab. I spoke about this on my instant reaction. Sean has great takedown defense, great jiu-jitsu, beautiful striking, and of course the jab is one of the best in mixed martial arts.

“It’s very fast, it’s piercing, it’s accurate, and it’s powerful. Look at the face of Dricus. But, he needs to add to that. It’s not enough, and I do feel that just fighting behind the jab was kind of what got Dricus the decision. Throwing the big kicks, throwing the head kicks, the body kicks and swinging and going forward, being the aggressor.”

Strickland later complained about an inadvertent headbutt that split him open and impaired his vision. Bisping thinks Du Plessis’ forward pressure swayed the judges in his favor.

“The three D’s, that’s how you score a fight: damage, duration, dominance,” Bisping continued. “And if it’s all even, they look at other things like octagon control and the visual of Dricus going forward, swinging, throwing head kicks, and stuff like that skews the opinion.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 297.