Sean Strickland and Michael Bisping Trade Jabs Before Du
Sean Strickland and Michael Bisping had a sharp but playful exchange in a pre-fight interview ahead of Strickland’s title rematch with Dricus du Plessis in Sydney.
Banter, not a feud
The interview took place during the build-up to the February 8, 2025 rematch. Bisping, a former champion turned broadcaster, and Strickland traded personal jokes in the clip. That back-and-forth was not evidence of an ongoing rivalry, and no substantiated Strickland response matching the quotes in the earlier story could be found. Read the interview report.
A separate discussion concerned Alex Pereira’s decision to join Strickland’s corner. Bisping argued that the move could benefit Pereira as he prepared for his own light-heavyweight title defense, since Strickland had trained with Pereira’s opponent, Magomed Ankalaev. That was Bisping’s analysis of the corner choice, not a claim of animosity between him and Strickland. See Bisping’s comments on Pereira’s corner role.
The published description of the Strickland–Bisping interview supports the lighter reading. Bisping recalled Strickland joking that he could “actually fight a little bit,” then answered by pointing to his own championship career. They also touched on having sparred before, and the report describes the exchange as mutual roasting that both men seemed to enjoy. The available account instead shows two experienced fighters playing along with each other during fight-week promotion, without evidence that their jokes reflected a real feud. Sports Illustrated’s interview report provides the context for the exchange.
The Pereira corner story was a separate issue with its own competitive and logistical questions. Daniel Cormier wondered whether travelling to Australia shortly before a title defense could disrupt Pereira’s preparation through jet lag, food changes and training adjustments. Bisping acknowledged those concerns, but argued that Pereira might also gain something from the trip: Strickland had trained with Ankalaev and could offer insight into the challenger. With only several weeks before the March 8 title contest, Bisping thought the potential downside was limited and suggested Pereira could make the appearance while still protecting his own camp. Those were Bisping’s judgments, not confirmed details about how Pereira’s team used the visit. MMA Fighting reported Bisping’s reasoning.
The later result supplies an endpoint to that debate, though it cannot establish whether the corner appearance affected either fighter. Pereira did travel to Sydney to support Strickland, then returned to his own title contest against Ankalaev on March 8. Ankalaev won their five-round light-heavyweight championship bout by unanimous decision, with the judges scoring it 49-46, 48-47 and 48-47. Pereira’s loss is part of the timeline, not proof that travel or cornering Strickland caused it; the official cards record the result without attributing it to preparation choices. official scorecards from the promotion.
Du Plessis won the rematch
Strickland entered the rematch as the challenger, hoping to reclaim the middleweight belt he had lost to du Plessis a year earlier. Du Plessis controlled much of the five-round fight and won by unanimous decision, with official scorecards of 50-45, 50-45 and 49-46. The result closed their series at two wins for du Plessis and ended Strickland’s immediate title bid. See the official scorecards.
The pre-fight exchange remains a colorful media moment, but it should be read in context: two outspoken figures joking during promotion week, alongside a separate debate about Pereira’s corner appearance. The competitive story was the championship rematch, which du Plessis won clearly on the judges’ cards.
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Tags: MMA
