Chael Sonnen holds a differing view on the UFC 297 middleweight title clash between Sean Strickland and Dricus Du Plessis.
Despite the pre-fight odds being evenly split, with many undecided on the potential victor, the bout unfolded as a closely contested affair, culminating in Du Plessis securing a split decision victory to claim the middleweight championship.
While the judges’ opinions were divided on the winner, Sonnen contends that the competition was not as intense as suggested. He asserts that Dricus Du Plessis unequivocally dominated the fight, claiming victory in every round.
Sonnen openly acknowledges his bias, expressing his support for Strickland, but maintains his perspective that Du Plessis convincingly won the contest.
During a discussion on his YouTube channel, Sonnen revealed his sentiment, saying, “When I have a bias, I disclose it to you guys, I disclose it, and I still try and be impartial. So, I’m cheering for Sean. Sean and Colby, those are my guys. It’s different, I get a knot in my stomach, it’s different. So, we lost every round, we lost every round of the fight.”
Despite acknowledging Strickland’s best moments in the fifth round, Sonnen still believes Du Plessis edged out that round. Even though he was not surprised that the judges scored it for the former champion, Sonnen expressed disbelief when the official scores were announced, expecting a unanimous decision in favor of Du Plessis.
Reflecting on the surprising split decision, Sonnen revealed his astonishment, stating, “I was stunned when it was a split decision… My bigger surprise was when all was said and done, Joe Rogan, who definitely qualifies as an expert in this space, and Dana White, who definitely qualifies as an expert in this space, both had Strickland. They both had Strickland. I thought did we watch the same thing?”
In contrast to the prevailing opinion, Sonnen stands by his belief that Dricus Du Plessis deservedly won each round, ultimately securing the middleweight title in Toronto.
