Sean Strickland addresses staph infection fears as UFC 312 looms

The divisive American will challenge Dricus Du Plessis for the 185lb title, a year after dropping the belt to him

Sean Strickland has dismissed fears he is carrying a staph infection into UFC 312, where he will challenge Dricus Du Plessis for the middleweight title.

In January 2024, Strickland lost the belt to Du Plessis via split decision, and the divisive American is out to reverse that result on Saturday (8 February).

However, Du Plessis has sparked fear among Strickland’s fans by posting a side-by-side image of the former champion – showing Strickland before their first fight and ahead of their rematch. Du Plessis wrote: “What? He grew taller and added staph infection to his arsenal... O[h] s***!”

The newer photograph of Strickland features a purple mark on his arm, but the 33-year-old has denied it is evidence of a staph infection.

“Listen, you motherf***ers, I’m immune to staph,” Strickland said at Thursday’s UFC 312 press conference. “You see this f***ing moustache? I give staph, I don’t f***ing get staph.

“Calm the f*** down. I don’t get sick, I don’t get f***ing injured, and I don’t get f***ing staph. So, relax.

“I’m going to be out there, and I’m going to come out f***ing hard and strong – the hardest and strongest you’ve ever f***ing seen.”

Also during fight week, ahead of Saturday’s event in Sydney, Strickland launched a tirade against Australia.

“It’s a really beautiful country. I would consider Australians as English white trash,” he said. “Some Irish, too; you know they sent the lot here. As an American white trash, I feel like I have a lot in common with you f***ers.”

Referencing Australia’s introduction of gun laws, after the Port Arthur massacre in 1996, Strickland added: “You had one mass shooting and gave up all your guns, that was kind of pathetic.

Sean Strickland (right) and Dricus Du Plessis during their first fight (Getty Images)

“It’s the lack of freedom, dude. How insane is it that we’re in a modern country and hate speech is a thing? [...] We’re in a modern country with running water, and you guys know: it’s real bad […] real f***ing bad, dude.”

After losing to Du Plessis, 31, Strickland bounced back with a decision win over Paulo Costa in June. Meanwhile, Du Plessis consolidated his title reign by submitting former champion Israel Adesanya in August.

Du Plessis’s victory over Strickland made him South Africa’s first UFC champion.