UFC middleweight Sean Strickland snapped his six-sight winning streak when he was knocked out cold in a single round by Alex Pereira. Now that Pereira is the UFC middleweight champ, having dispatched Israel Adesanya at UFC 281, Strickland wants the chance to face “Poatan” once more.
Strickland, whose style up until that fight was firmly rooted in a suffocating, dominant wrestling style, was widely criticized for choosing to stand and bang with one of the most lethal strikers in the sport. He told MMAJunkie that, given the chance, he’d do the same thing again. You can’t say he isn’t consistent.
Strickland Promises to do “The Same F****** Thing” If He Faces Pereira Again
“The guy f****** hits hard, dude. That motherf*****, he has dynamite in his hands but got to get a couple wins under my belt, and hopefully he’s still the champ and we’ll run it back.
He’s a f****** big motherf****** Brazilian who hits like dynamite. F***. I’ll give you guys a pointer: You stand in front of that motherf***** and bang, somebody is going to sleep and it’s most likely going to be you. If I fight the guy again, I’d do the same f****** thing. Just put this hand a little more [up].”
The defeat saw Strickland drop to no. 7 in the division’s rankings, and he has not fought since. Sean Strickland knows that he’ll need to string together a few extra wins if he wants another run at the title, particularly considering that he’s already lost to the current champ. If he can get it together, it’s an exciting prospect. First, Strickland needs to get through Jared Cannonier, who is set to face at UFC Vegas 66 next Saturday. Cannonier is another powerful striker, and Strickland hopes to set himself up for another title shot with a victory in Vegas.
“How would you guys feel with that big, scary motherf***** looking back at you trying to kill you? It’s exciting. I can’t wait.”
The landscape of the middleweight division is looking very different compared to a month ago. With Israel Adesanya relieved of the belt after effectively lapping the division, every elite middleweight will be gasping for a chance to take on Alex Pereira. Pereira’s MMA experience is limited, and he seemed to struggle in the brief grappling exchanges during the Adesanya fight. Any UFC middleweight with a strong wrestling pedigree might see Pereira as a chance at UFC gold, if they can get in before the Adesanya rematch.
Do you think Sean Strickland might want to try a different approach next time? Let us know in the comments.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7XMjaXnir84
