Sean Strickland might be riding high, heading into the top ten of the 185lb division, but former champion Luke Rockhold is confident in his own ability to keep Strickland at bay. The two will meet at UFC 268 this November, and if Rockhold has any qualms about his opponent heading into the fight, he isn’t letting them show.
That’s because, if you ask Luke Rockhold, Sean Strickland is kind of stupid, albeit the kind of stupid that wins fights. At least that’s what he told MMAJunkie.com.
Rockhold unimpressed by “stupid”, “average” Sean Strickland
“As stupid as he looks and as stupid as he sounds, he’s effective.
Probably because he’s so stupid.
He just comes forward, he’s got confidence in himself, and he doesn’t question it, and that’s dangerous, for sure.
I think he’s somewhat one-dimensional, and being able to expose that is key. He’s just tough. Tough and confident.
That’s a big problem for a lot of people, so you’ve got to take that confidence from him.”
Rockhold’s ice-cold assessment of Sean Strickland notwithstanding, Strickland himself is happily enjoying a win streak since his move to middleweight. Sean Strickland has yet to meet a middleweight that he can’t beat, including his most recent win over Uriah Hall. Rockhold, on the other hand, will return to action against Strickland following two years away from the Octagon. Stupid or not, ring rust may well prove to be the difference in this middleweight fight.
Rockhold will also have to contend with the fact that his last two fights in the UFC ended in losses. Three of Luke Rockhold’s five career losses in MMA came in the past five years, and that record leaves him 1-3 since 2016. If he really wants to make a serious comeback, he’ll need to win against Strickland.
Luke Rockhold’s plan for Sean Strickland seems to mirror that of just about any competition, playing against his opponent’s weaknesses and controlling the action.
“You’ve got to put him in positions he’s not comfortable with and finish it. I think he’s average everywhere.
He’s hasn’t got a great ground game. He doesn’t have great wrestling. Decent boxing.
He doesn’t kick much, but he’s tough. He’s tough, and he’s not going to take no for an answer kind of thing. He doesn’t have quit in him. You’ve got to make him quit.”
Whether or not Luke Rockhold can accomplish this is another story. Four middleweights before him have tried. Can Luke Rockhold succeed where others have failed, and control the chaotic, determined Strickland inside the Octagon? Let us know in the comments.
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