Strickland rips Du Plessis: The belt 'will never make you a champion'

Sean Strickland is officially outraged about his UFC 297 loss to Dricus Du Plessis.

Despite saying he won the fight, Strickland kept it cool with Du Plessis after losing the middleweight title via split decision Saturday in Toronto. But he changed his tune and slammed Du Plessis in an Instagram post on Monday, questioning the legitimacy of the new champion's title reign.

Strickland doubled down on his belief that the fight shifted in Du Plessis' favor after Strickland suffered a gruesome cut he claims was caused by a clash of heads.

"I didn't take the coward's way out and tell the doctor I couldn't see and (get) a no-contest. The only reason why you took a round from me is because I couldn't see," Strickland wrote, directing his words at Du Plessis. "I won that fight. The world knows I won that fight.

"The belt they gave you will never make you a champion. Enjoy."

Strickland shared a video of the clash of heads. Du Plessis' head appeared to bump into Strickland as he attempted a takedown, bloodying the area around Strickland's eye. The referee didn't call a timeout, and Du Plessis said during the postfight press conference he wasn't aware that such an incident had occurred.

Du Plessis responded to Strickland's post, writing Monday on Instagram, "Why don't you cry about it ... again."

Dana White said after the fight that he thought Strickland beat Du Plessis three rounds to two, but the UFC CEO isn't planning to book an immediate rematch.