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When UFC parent company Endeavor purchased the WWE earlier this year, some UFC fans worried about elements of pro wrestling crossing over into their spot.
Now former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker suggests that it’s already happening.
Whittaker says that believes reigning champion Sean Strickland’s altercation with challenger Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 296 wasn’t exactly authentic.
The full incident between Sean Strickland and Dricus Du Plessis at #UFC296 tonight.
Bring on #UFC297 in January! pic.twitter.com/HQt0Uj1jiv
— UFC (@ufc) December 17, 2023
“I thought it was staged, mate, honestly,” Whittaker said on his MMArcade Podcast. “Because it was weird. It was weird the way it happened. You saw the way Strickland was like, ‘Move aside, please.’ Makes sense, but then he jumps in like WWE style. The way he was punching, the way he was kind of like, I don’t know, fake punching to the back of Dricus.
“Maybe it was just for entertainment, and which case, you can’t really give him anything for it. I don’t know. It’s a bit silly. He’s the champ.”
Whittaker then suggested that maybe only one of the fighters was informed about the allegedly staged altercation.
“It was a weird little scuffle, I am gonna say,” Whittaker said. “I also heard (Strickland) talking smack about me in the press conference. I don’t think it was smack talk, to be honest. He just off-commented how — downplayed my abilities. I don’t expect him to pump tires, to be honest, and yeah, I don’t think I’m as one-dimensional as he says. I think my blitz is a strong part of my game, but I got other tricks.
“It was nothing really. I’m not gonna say I like him but I don’t hate him because he’s kind of holistically against everybody, you know what I mean? He’s holistically rude. He’s not singling out certain people or genres or races or colors, he’s just kinda tellin’ off everyone (laughs). Being rude to everyone. I don’t hate that. But I don’t know, I think that fight looked a little staged. Staged on Strickland’s behalf, I don’t think Dricus got the memo (laughs).”
Strickland and Du Plessis will fight for the middleweight title at UFC 297 on January 20.