UFC champ ‘shot in face’ in FIREWORK fight with pals less than two weeks before huge title fight as horror clip emerges

SEAN STRICKLAND has risked serious injury just weeks before his octagon return by taking part in a FIREWORK FIGHT with one of his pals.

The controversial middleweight champion defends his title against surging South African Dricus du Plessis at UFC 297 a week on Sunday morning.

Sean Strickland will defend his middleweight title against Dricus du Plessis at UFC 297GETTY

But the American took part in a firework fight weeks before his first title defenceYOUTUBE@NINADRAMA

The controversial American shot and dodged pyrotechnic projectiles with his palYOUTUBE@NINADRAMA

YOUTUBE@NINADRAMA

Strickland jokingly claimed one of the fireworks hit him in the face[/caption]

Strickland has been leaving no stone unturned ahead of his maiden title defence, which he won with a stunning upset of Israel Adesanya last September.

He’s also been breaking up the monotony of training camp by spending time with his pals, one of whom he engaged in a firework fight with.

Footage of the American shooting an array of fireworks and firecrackers at his pal went viral on X (formerly Twitter) after being uploaded by MMA content creator Nina Drama.

And in typical Strickland fashion, he braved the pyrotechnic projectiles coming his way while being topless.

Fight fans were quick to comment on the clip, with one saying: “So careless.”

Another said: “Can’t believe they took out this scene from Harry Potter, he was clearly tryna Save Harry.”

And another said: “Cross training?”

One joked: “The real people’s champ.”

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Sean Strickland shocked the world last September by dethroning Israel Adesanya[/caption]

Another chimed in: “Hopelessly hilarious.”

After the madness finished, Strickland was heard saying: “I got shot right in the face! I’m f***ing sick you guys! I’ve got a title fight guys!.”

The outspoken and brash Strickland – a self-admitted former Neo Nazi – recently opened up on his traumatic childhood and the abuse he and his mother would suffer at the hands of his father.

He said: “I was in probably third or fourth grade, I used to always sleep in my mom’s room because I thought my dad was going to kill my mom.

“So I would sleep by the door, I’d sleep under the bed. I’d sleep by the door because I thought my dad was going to kill my mom.

“One day, it was so f**k up, they just got in a bad fight, it was like third, fourth grade, my dad was like ‘f**k that, he’s not sleeping in here tonight, kick him out’.

“So I like army crawled under the bed, and I’m sleeping under the bed. I’m like laying under the bed as they’re fighting, because I think my dad was going to kill my mom.

“My dad gets on top of my mom, and I remember he said, ‘I’m going to f kill you tonight.’

“Maybe it’s just rough sex, we don’t know at this moment. I’m under the bed, and he starts strangling her.

He later added: “I get out, and the only thing I can see is a guitar, I just f* crack him in the head and call the cops.

“I run down the street to call the cops, he’s arrested, and my dumb ass mom bails him out of jail. I would say that’s the tip of the iceberg.”

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Sean Strickland came to blows with Dricus du Plessis last month at UFC 296[/caption]