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Tag: Sean Strickland

  • Sean Strickland’s Coach Points Out Weakness In Dricus Du Plessis Ahead Of Potential Rematch: ‘If The Wrestling Does Happen…’

    Sean Strickland’s Coach Points Out Weakness In Dricus Du Plessis Ahead Of Potential Rematch: ‘If The Wrestling Does Happen…’

    Sean Strickland’s coach Eric Nicksick has already spoken about how a rematch with Dricus Du Plessis won’t need big changes from them.

    Their first encounter at UFC 297 where Du Plessis came away with a split decision to become the middleweight champion, was a closely contested affair over five rounds.

    Making small adjustments before running it back will be key because, as we saw in the first fight, there isn’t much to separate these two.

    The fight was predominantly a striking exchange between them but the occasional takedown attempts from Du Plessis opened up some moments that they could capitalize on in the rematch, in Nicksick’s opinion.

    Eric Nicksick Says Sean Strickland Can Use Transitional Grappling Against Dricus Du Plessis

    Nicksick knows better than to expect his fighter to go out there in a title fight and start shooting for takedowns.

    Strickland’s style is very set in its ways and we saw that when he faced elite strikers in Alex Pereira and Israel Adesanya, and didn’t once try to take the fight to the ground.

    Where Nicksick feels they can have success after watching the first fight play out is in the transitions after Du Plessis attempts takedowns.

    The Xtreme Couture head coach was able to take lessons from UFC 297 and the time he cornered Brad Tavares against “Stillknocks”, to find this one area.

    “The one thing I will bring up that I feel like Sean doesn’t give himself enough credit for – so when Dricus took Sean down, there was some transitional grappling, things that I want to see Sean implement a little bit more. Sean never was really held down, we were never like taken down and laid on our back but there, Sean’s really good at hitting the switch and Sean’s really good at counterbalancing and taking the back to where I think Sean could implement a little ground and pound and top pressure himself.

    “Anecdotally looking back at what Brad did, when Brad fought Dricus, Brad got on top and Brad rode Dricus all the first round so I think Dricus is a very good topside grappler, I don’t think he’s that great off his back so I’m not saying we need to go and initiate the wrestling but if the wrestling does happen, I think Sean can reverse those positions and get on top and create some havoc up there.”

    Read also: Jared Cannonier Dismisses Caio Borralho’s Grappling Superiority Ahead Of UFC Fight Night Main Event: ‘I Fought Glover Teixeira!’

  • Sean Strickland On Being Arrested In South Africa & Taking A Fight To Avoid Jail

    Sean Strickland On Being Arrested In South Africa & Taking A Fight To Avoid Jail

    Sean Strickland recently recounted the tale of getting arrested during his time in South Africa and how that pivotal incident reignited his MMA career.

    The former UFC middleweight champion has earned as much attention for his fighting skill inside the Octagon as for his ability to spark controversy beyond it. With his audacious and unfiltered personality, he’s become a well-known figure in the MMA world, regularly voicing provocative opinions on a variety of commonplace issues.

    Strickland has consistently found himself at the heart of controversy, entangled in several scandals over the years. From almost being yanked from his short-notice title fight against Israel Adesanya at UFC 293 in Australia, allegedly for assaulting a civilian at Bondi Beach, to receiving a stern warning from UFC CEO Dana White that he could be deported from Canada before his UFC 297 bout with Dricus Du Plessis due to his polarizing views on the LGBTQ community—the 33-year-old Californian’s antics have often put him on thin ice.

    Strickland Reveals He Ended Retirement To Fight In South Africa To Pay Off Bail Bond

    During a recent interview with ESPN MMA, Strickland was asked why he isn’t keen on the idea of having his rematch against UFC middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis in the titleholder’s homeland of South Africa. “Tarzan” revealed that he visited the country long ago and wasn’t fond of it, which is why he prefers the fight to happen in the United States instead.

    The American went on to share that during his time in Durban, he was arrested by the local police for reasons unmentioned and found himself in urgent need of cash to post bail. With limited options, he realized that the quickest way to earn the money was by taking a fight, despite the fact that he had already retired at that point.

    Strickland disclosed that he accepted a last-minute bout against Donavin Hawkey at the King of the Cage: Platinum event in November 2010 to quickly secure some cash.

    “Funny enough, I actually got arrested and had just retired from fighting. I had to pay a bail bondsman, so it was either pay the bail or go to jail. If you need quick cash, what do you do? So, I went and fought this guy named Donavin Hawkey on two weeks’ notice in South Africa just to pay the bondsman not go to jail.“

    “Tarzan” went on to mention that the fight reignited his passion for MMA.

    “That’s literally how I got back into MMA. I was bored, broke, living in gyms, and I’m 19 years old, riding a bicycle like a loser, thinking, ‘I’m done with this sh*t.’ Then I got arrested. I was like, ‘Oh sh*t, well, I guess you have to pay the bail bondsman or go back to jail.’”

    Strickland seized the 185-pound title from Adesanya last September, but his reign was short-lived, as Du Plessis dethroned him this past January. Following his decision win over Paulo Costa at UFC 302 in June, Strickland is eager for a rematch with “Stillknocks”.

    However, his position as the top contender is precarious, as the winner of the upcoming UFC 308 clash between Robert Whittaker and Khamzat Chimaev could easily leapfrog him in the race for the title shot.

  • Darren Till Takes Aim At Top UFC Middleweight Names: ‘Whittaker, I F**king Love You, But I Beat You’ 

    Darren Till Takes Aim At Top UFC Middleweight Names: ‘Whittaker, I F**king Love You, But I Beat You’ 

    Former UFC welterweight title challenger Darren Till has been getting vocal about the division he was once a part of, and that continued this week with some opinions on the top middleweight fighters.

    Till hasn’t competed in mixed martial arts since a defeat to then-future champion Dricus Du Plessis in late 2022. The start of the subsequent year saw “The Gorilla” granted his release from the UFC, and he’s since had just one boxing outing.

    All the while, the Liverpool native has vowed to return to the Octagon down the line and hasn’t shied away from giving his assessments of various fighters and matchups, especially at his most recent fighting weight in the UFC of 185 pounds.

    That was on display this month when Till posted numerous tweets about the UFC 305 main event between Du Plessis and Israel Adesanya, offering advice to the latter while constantly berating his former opponent.

    That trend has remained this week, but it wasn’t just the South African taking fire…

    Till Berates Some, Praises Others: ‘DDP I Hate Your Guts…Sean I Like’

    In a recent X post, Till gave his honest take on a number of notable names in the middleweight division, expressing somewhat positive thoughts on Marvin Vettori, Sean Strickland, and Robert Whittaker.

    All three still caught some flak, but it was Du Plessis and Adesanya who took the brunt of it.

    “Marvin I really like but ur sh*t. DDP I hate ur guts and ur sh*t. Izzy!!!! Ur gay and ur sh*t. Sean I like and ur ok cos u beat me up in the gym once I boxed ur head off. Whittaker I f**king love u but I beat you, you chose the sh*thouse way and took me down 10 seconds in the last round… ur sh*t.”

    Till also didn’t miss an opportunity to quip at himself.

    “Have I missed anyone out? Oh sh*t yeh… myself, I’m f**king so shit I really am.”

    And newly crowned UFC Welterweight Champion Belal Muhammad also briefly entered the Scouser’s crosshairs.

    “Also Belal Muhammad isn’t a real fighter strip him of his title he cheated against Leon!!!!!”

  • Sean Strickland Shares Unpopular Opinion On Former UFC Middleweight Champ: ‘I Just Don’t Think Izzy’s That Good!’

    Sean Strickland Shares Unpopular Opinion On Former UFC Middleweight Champ: ‘I Just Don’t Think Izzy’s That Good!’

    Sean Strickland defeated Israel Adesanya via unanimous decision at UFC 293 in September 2023. It was one of the biggest upsets in MMA history as fans expected the champ to piece up Strickland with his striking.

    “The Last Stylebender” returned to the Octagon after 11 months at UFC 305, challenging Dricus Du Plessis for the UFC middleweight championship. The fight was competitive on the feet and ground from the get-go, but the kingpin secured a submission win in the fourth.

    Adesanya had never lost two consecutive fights in his pro career previously. Looking back at his bouts, former opponent Strickland has claimed that Izzy was never that good to begin with…

    Sean Strickland Doubted Israel Adesanya’s Fighting Skills After Sparring Kelvin Gastelum

    Strickland recently discussed his former rival on the Verse Us with Erick Nicksick podcast. After admitting that it’s an unpopular opinion, he said that “The Last Stylbender” isn’t as good as his record makes him look.

    “I have an unpopular opinion. You guys aren’t going to like it. I just don’t think Izzy’s that good!”

    Strickland thinks so primarily because of his regular sparring sessions with Kelvin Gastelum. Izzy had one of the toughest fights of his MMA career against Gastelum, while Strickland claims to run through him during training.

    “So, when he fought Kelvin dude. I think Kelvin sucks. So, like, everyone’s like, everyone’s like oh man Izzy’s this and that. Like, dude, I’ve sparred Kelvin so many times where I’m like, you kind of had a close fight with Kelvin, like you’re not that good.”

    The previous UFC middleweight champion clarified that he still believes Adesanya to be better than the majority of the UFC roster. He compared Izzy’s recent form to the likes of Chuck Liddell and Anderson Silva who went on losing streaks once an opponent figured out the best game plan to beat them.

    READ MORE: Anthony Smith Shares Theory On Alex Pereira Pondering Middleweight Return To Fight Dricus Du Plessis: ‘You Beat My Friend!’

  • Sean Strickland’s Coach Expands On Strategy For Dricus Du Plessis Rematch: ‘It’s Gonna Be To The Death!’

    Sean Strickland’s Coach Expands On Strategy For Dricus Du Plessis Rematch: ‘It’s Gonna Be To The Death!’

    The next middleweight title fight would appear to be a rematch of what fight fans saw take place over five rounds in the main event of UFC 297.

    Dricus Du Plessis won a split decision on that night in January to take the belt from Sean Strickland, following a back-and-forth encounter.

    After Strickland was able to bounce back with a win over Paulo Costa and Du Plessis defended the title against Israel Adesanya this past weekend, a rematch is on the cards.

    Given how close it was the first time around, there likely isn’t going to be a big change made by either man that will drastically change the way this one plays out – and that’s how Strickland’s head coach sees it.

    Eric Nicksick Says He Expects A Similar Fight With Small ‘Chess Match’ Adjustments

    In a recent interview with Submission Radio, Eric Nicksick spoke about his expectations for preparing Strickland to face Du Plessis for a second time.

    He spoke about how the key to this fight will be focusing on small adjustments because they wouldn’t need to do much different to have won the first encounter.

    “There are some things and I’ve said them publicly in the past but there are definitely some things that we went away from that would have helped negate that forward pressure and I still firmly believe had we stayed on those things, we would have won that fight and he didn’t do those things, Sean did not do those things. So, we need to get back to some small little changes.

    “There’s some things on the ground that I think we can accomplish as well that I would like to revisit with Sean and yeah. I mean it wasn’t this crazy, crazy, ‘Oh dude, we got our a** kicked’. There was just some small little things but now the fun part is the chess match. What are they going to do to go back and make those adjustments and what are they going to expect us to make our adjustments on, and then there’s that little game of chess now. That’ll be the fun part.”

    Nicksick also believes that this first fight is going to look very similar to the UFC 297 headliner because of the styles and toughness of both men.

    He can’t see a way that it doesn’t end up being a test of both men’s wills when the going gets tough.

    “You would love to say, ‘Oh, we’re gonna go in there and smoke this dude’ but Dricus, he’ll look awful and then he comes back and does his thing so you got to expect a knockdown drag out fight. 2-2 going into round five, hey we’re down to the last five minutes, we’re going to have to dig deep and figure out a way to get this fight, that’s how we have to train, that’s how we have to expect it. It’s going to be to the death.”

    Read also: Tom Aspinall Has High Praise For Dricus Du Plessis After UFC 305: ‘One Of The Smartest Fighters In The UFC’ 

  • Israel Adesanya In ‘Way Better Headspace’ Post-UFC 305 Than After Sean Strickland Loss: ‘I Actually Enjoyed The Performance’ 

    Israel Adesanya In ‘Way Better Headspace’ Post-UFC 305 Than After Sean Strickland Loss: ‘I Actually Enjoyed The Performance’ 

    Former two-time UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya may be on the first losing skid of his career, but the latest defeat has left him better off mentally.

    Adesanya made his return to action just under a year on from his setback last September, returning to Australian soil to challenge for Dricus Du Plessis’ gold in the main event of UFC 305.

    “The Last Stylebender” took a hiatus from the sport after being shockingly thrust off the throne by Sean Strickland at the Sydney-held UFC 293, citing his frequent activity as a factor that hampered his performance.

    During his break, Adesanya refined his preparation and placed increased emphasis on areas such as nutrition and strength. And upon his return, the Nigerian-New Zealander played his part in one of the year’s best championship fights, going toe-to-toe with Du Plessis for the best part of four rounds.

    Adesanya was ultimately submitted in the penultimate frame, a result that has halted his planned rise to three-time champ status and sent him on the first run of defeats his career has seen.

    While some might have expected such a fact to leave him in a similar place as the period post-UFC 293 last year, “The Last Stylebender” says that is far from the case…

    Adesanya Happy To Have ‘Showcased’ More At UFC 305

    During an interview uploaded to his FREESTYLEBENDER YouTube channel, Adesanya reflected on his unsuccessful title challenger inside the RAC Arena in Perth, Australia, this past weekend.

    The former two-time middleweight kingpin continued to show humility and positivity in defeat, acknowledging that it wasn’t his night but insisting he was pleased with the performance he put in.

    That is a far cry from how he looked at the surprise setback at the hands of Strickland 11 months ago.

    “For me, I’m like, you know what? It’s cool. It was his night. Good for him,” Adesanya said. “This morning, I remember thinking like, ‘What’s next?’ … People think I need to get this one back. Nah, I’m chill. We’ll see what happens. I don’t know what’s next. I haven’t really thought that far (ahead). I just know I want to keep training, I want to keep getting better.

    “I’m in a better headspace than I was after the last fight — way better,” Adesanya continued. “I actually enjoyed the performance, and I felt like I got to showcase a lot more of who I am, rather than just fighting injured and not really showcasing who I am. I just want to get back to the gym after this trip.”

    It remains to be seen what could come next for Adesanya, who appeared firm in dismissing any retirement talk in the aftermath of the UFC 305 main event.

  • Sean O’Malley Talks UFC 305 Main Event, ‘Coin Flip’ Prediction For Du Plessis’ Next Fight

    Sean O’Malley Talks UFC 305 Main Event, ‘Coin Flip’ Prediction For Du Plessis’ Next Fight

    Dricus Du Plessis retained his middleweight title at UFC 305 by submitting former champion Israel Adesanya in a back-and-forth encounter.

    Though he was able to secure the tap in the fourth round, it was the striking from “Stillknocks” that led to the finish.

    His unorthodox and sometimes reckless approach to moving through ranges whilst looking to land big punches found a home and hurt “The Last Stylebender” which was the beginning of the end.

    On his YouTube channel, bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley gave his immediate reaction to the main event where he highlighted Du Plessis’ blitz assault and gave props to both men.

    “DDP has some funny a** like blitzes that just looks so sloppy and weird but he connects somehow and they’re heavy f****** punches and Izzy did look good. He looked like he was in good shape, defended that good takedown a few times. Like he said, he made a few small little mistakes. I mean I thought he was winning a decision, close fight. DDP showed why he’s the champ.”

    Sean O’Malley Believes Dricus Du Plessis vs Sean Strickland 2 Will Be Another Close Fight

    In the aftermath of this past weekend’s event in Perth, it appears that the next time Du Plessis will be back inside the Octagon will be for his first rematch in the UFC.

    The South African champion won the title by defeating Sean Strickland earlier this year in a split decision, that the American passionately believes he should have gotten.

    O’Malley gave his thoughts on that fight having already seen how difficult it was to separate them at UFC 297.

    “Sean Strickland is fighting the winner, we already knew that. DDP versus Sean Strickland 2, the first fight was very, very, very close, could have gave it to Sean Strickland. He was the champion at the time and I feel like if you’re going to beat the champ in a split decision, it’s got to be more dominant than that so that was a very, very close fight, that’s going to be a fun one to run back.”

    “Suga” went on to say that he believes this particular match-up is won or lost by who performs better on that night due to their styles.

    “I think those guys can fight 10 times, it’s a coin flip every time. I don’t think it’s going to be f****** one guy is going to dominate. Those two styles are just going to be whoever shows up better on that night.”

    Read also: Dana White Reacts To UFC Fighters Brawling At PFL Event With Jibe At The Rival Promotion

  • Israel Adesanya Insists Sean Strickland Loss Didn’t ‘Shake’ Him Ahead Of UFC 305 Return: ‘I’ve Been Here Before’

    Israel Adesanya Insists Sean Strickland Loss Didn’t ‘Shake’ Him Ahead Of UFC 305 Return: ‘I’ve Been Here Before’

    Former two-time UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya is no stranger to bouncing back from setbacks, and he’s confident of doing so again.

    Adesanya is currently coming off the third loss of his Octagon career — a shock decision defeat to Sean Strickland in Sydney last September. The result brought the Nigerian-New Zealander’s sophomore title reign to a quick end and served as the catalyst for a break.

    Now, 11 months later, “The Last Stylebender” is back on the hunt.

    Adesanya will headline this weekend’s UFC 305 pay-per-view event in competition for the 185-pound gold, now held by his rival Dricus Du Plessis.

    The pair will now do battle inside the RAC Arena in Perth, Australia, and many are keen to see how Adesanya performs following such a dominant loss last time out.

    Du Plessis, on his part, has suggested the Nigerian-New Zealander already has one foot out the door toward retirement. Some others, meanwhile, have questioned if the recent break will be enough to prevent Adesanya putting in the same lackluster performance that sent him to defeat opposite Strickland.

    But when it comes to rebounding from a poor result and showing he’s got plenty left to give at the top of the division, Adesanya has reminded his detractors that UFC 305 is far from his first rodeo…

    Adesanya On UFC 305 Comeback: ‘I’m Going To Smoke This Fool’

    During a recent interview with Stake, Adesanya looked ahead to his return to action and reflected on his year away from the Octagon.

    “The Last Stylebender” acknowledged the importance of his time off and insisted he’s now ready to jump back on the train. And in terms of those doubting his ability to do so successfully, Adesanya vowed to prove them wrong by ‘smoking’ Du Plessis come fight night.

    “This is the longest layoff in my whole fighting career. I kind of got forced into taking a break because my body needed it,” Adesanya said. “Not because of the fights, but the training camps. My mind, body and spirit needed it, and I’m glad I got the break I needed and reset myself, reaffirm myself. Let’s go!

    “My team is everything you need. I’m a friendly guy and a lot of the people I connect with feel like they’ve known me for years, but my team are the ones who will always be around me because they understand me,” Adesanya continued. “I’ve been here before, I’ve lost before and I know how things change, so for me, the defeat didn’t shake me. You watch this…I’m going to smoke this fool. I’ve been here before, but I’ll play the game a little differently this time.”

    Adesanya will look to prove as much by righting that wrong from last September in his return on Australian soil this weekend.

    Should he accomplish that feat, “The Last Stylebender” would add another historic achievement to his record by becoming the first-ever three-time middleweight champ in UFC history.

    And should he do so in the kind of fashion he’s envisioning, the commentary booth could have another highlight to add to its reel.

  • UFC Rankings Report: Serghei Spivac Ties Stipe Miocic After UFC Fight Night Main Event Win

    UFC Rankings Report: Serghei Spivac Ties Stipe Miocic After UFC Fight Night Main Event Win

    As always, the latest action on offer inside the Octagon has seen some climb the ladder toward contention and others fall away.

    And in the aftermath of UFC Fight Night: Marcin Tybura vs. Serghei Spivac, MMA News has you covered with this week’s updates to the official UFC rankings.

    Men’s Pound-For-Pound: There was one change to the male P4P order this week and it comes toward the bottom, with Charles Oliveira (#14) getting boosted above his fellow former UFC champion Sean Strickland (#15).

    Women’s Pound-for-Pound: No changes.

    Women’s Strawweight: No changes.

    Women’s Flyweight: No changes.

    Women’s Bantamweight: Macy Chiasson has received a late reward for her efforts at UFC 303 in late June, moving up one spot to #4 at 135 pounds at the expense of former title challenger Irena Aldana (#5).

    Further down, Yana Santos has returned to the top 10 courtesy of her victory over Chelsea Chandler this past weekend, climbing above Miesha Tate (#11) and Pannie Kianzad (#12). the former of whom has dropped three positions. The defeated Chandler, meanwhile, remains clinging on to a ranking at #15 despite not boasting a single victory in the weight class.

    Flyweight: No changes.

    Bantamweight: No changes.

    Featherweight: No changes.

    Lightweight: No changes.

    Welterweight: No changes.

    Middleweight: No changes.

    Light Heavyweight: At 205 pounds, former title challenger Dominick Reyes has edged closer to the top 10, moving up to #13 and swapping positions with Bogdan Guskov (#14).

    Heavyweight: Serghei Spivac returned to winning ways in Saturday’s main event, avenging his 2020 loss to Marcin Tybura by locking the Polish veteran in an armbar inside the opening minutes. As a result, “Polar Bear” has risen by two places to #7, where he’s met a man on the opposite trajectory in the great Stipe Miocic. The ex-champ has slipped another spot to share that step of the ladder with Spivac.

    Those changes have resulted in Jailton Almeida climbing one spot to #6 and the defeated Tybura slipping a place to #9.

    You can view the full updated UFC rankings here.

  • Robert Whittaker On The ‘Million Dollar Question’ That Could Determine Who Wins UFC 305 Main Event

    Robert Whittaker On The ‘Million Dollar Question’ That Could Determine Who Wins UFC 305 Main Event

    Robert Whittaker has his eyes firmly set on the upcoming middleweight title clash between Dricus Du Plessis and Israel Adesanya, which will headline UFC 305, and for good reason. Recently, he shared his thoughts on how this highly anticipated bout might unfold.

    “Stillknocks” is poised to put his middleweight title on the line for the first time in a rivalry-fueled showdown against Adesanya, scheduled for this weekend at the RAC Arena in Perth, Western Australia.

    Du Plessis was initially lined up to face Adesanya following his knockout win over Whittaker at UFC 290 in July 2023. However, destiny intervened, as an injury sidelined the undefeated South African contender. Meanwhile, “The Last Stylebender” suffered a shocking loss, surrendering his title to Strickland at UFC 293 last September.

    Du Plessis marked his victorious comeback by edging out Strickland in a split decision, capturing the 185-pound title at UFC 297 this past January. With renewed confidence, he has boldly declared his belief that he will defeat Adesanya, who is returning to the Octagon after an 11-month self-imposed hiatus—the longest break of his UFC career.

    If that scenario unfolds, “Stillknocks” has hinted that his next title defense will likely be against the winner of Whittaker’s upcoming clash with the undefeated Khamzat Chimaev, scheduled for UFC 308 in Abu Dhabi on October 26.

    Having squared off against both UFC 305 main eventers—especially Adesanya, whom he’s faced twice—”The Reaper” possesses a rare perspective on the hurdles each will likely face when they clash in the Octagon this Saturday night…

    Whittaker Predicts Adesanya’s Lessons From Strickland Loss Could Affect Du Plessis Bout

    During a recent appearance on the MMArcade Podcast, Whittaker delved into the upcoming clash between Du Plessis and Adesanya, noting that it’s hard for him to predict a clear winner. The former UFC middleweight champion pointed out that both fighters last stepped into the Octagon against Strickland, but their contrasting strategies led to very different results.

    “I guess it’s very hard to put a hard pick on either one of them,” Whittaker said. “But I’ll say all we can look at is historically, like their previous fights. Dricus, in his last fight against Strickland, moved forward, put pressure on Strickland, didn’t let Strickland do that to him, shut his game down, was very aggressive, created that space, and didn’t let Strickland really find the rhythm that he likes to fight in.

    Strickland, prior to that fight, fought Adesanya and did exactly that to Israel—pushed into his space and didn’t allow Adesanya to utilize that dangerous space that he likes fighting in. He crowded him to a point where he didn’t let him have any free distancing from the fence so that he could move away. He kept Adesanya’s back to the fence for 90% of the fight and beat Adesanya by decision.”

    “The Reaper” went on to highlight that a pivotal aspect of this fight will be whether Adesanya has fine-tuned his skills during his time off after the loss to Strickland. He noted that it will be crucial to see if Adesanya can effectively counter Du Plessis’ relentless pressure and close-quarters exchanges.

    “Dricus was able to push that plan against Strickland that Strickland was able to push against Adesanya, so you would have to think Dricus is going to push that same plan on Adesanya. And I guess the million-dollar question is, what has Izzy done in his layoff since the Strickland fight to make sure that doesn’t happen again? Because you can bet your bottom dollar Dricus is going to push into that.”

  • UFC Full Fight: Relive Dricus Du Plessis’ Title Win Over Sean Strickland Ahead Of His UFC 305 Defense 

    UFC Full Fight: Relive Dricus Du Plessis’ Title Win Over Sean Strickland Ahead Of His UFC 305 Defense 

    UFC 305 headliner Dricus Du Plessis achieved his title ambitions on mixed martial arts’ biggest stage this past January.

    The middleweight champion will return in the main event of this weekend’s pay-per-view card at the RAC Arena in Perth, Australia, where he’s tasked with defending his belt in a grudge match against Israel Adesanya.

    The South African’s first chance to extend his reign comes seven months on from his crowning at UFC 297 in Toronto, Canada. He headlined the promotion’s first PPV of 2024 in competition for the 185-pound gold, which was then held by Sean Strickland.

    “Stillknocks” brought the American’s divisional rule to a quick end, falling on the right side of a split decision after five rounds of competitive action to rip the title from Strickland’s grasp in his very first defense.

    Ahead of Saturday’s event, the promotion has released the full Du Plessis vs. Strickland fight from UFC 297 on its official YouTube channel.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s53Lz5NWhm4

    Du Plessis will now look to ensure he achieves a feat that Strickland failed to this year by recording a successful defense. To do so, he must stall Adesanya’s push for a historic three-time title crowning.

    The Nigerian-New Zealander will be making his return after losing the belt to Strickland close to a year ago. To regain it, Adesanya has his South African rival’s UFC 0 in his sights.

  • Dricus Du Plessis Predicts How Potential ‘Title Eliminator’ Sean Strickland vs. Robert Whittaker Would Go: ‘I Think It Comes Down To…’

    Dricus Du Plessis Predicts How Potential ‘Title Eliminator’ Sean Strickland vs. Robert Whittaker Would Go: ‘I Think It Comes Down To…’

    As Dricus Du Plessis prepares to defend his middleweight title at UFC 305 for the first time, two of his former opponents could be set to meet in a huge clash.

    Both former champions Robert Whittaker and Sean Strickland have claims to be the next in line for a title shot after Israel Adesanya.

    Though Strickland believes he doesn’t need to fight again to get the next opportunity, a number one contender’s match-up would make a lot of sense for the division.

    Having faced and defeated both men, Du Plessis finds this fight difficult to call but he did give his analysis and prediction.

    Dricus Du Plessis Says Grappling Exchange Key To Whittaker vs. Strickland

    Du Plessis has remained on the fence in the past when being asked about this fight because he didn’t have a clear image in his head of the way that it takes place.

    He spoke during a recent interview with mainevent on Fox Sports where after giving it some thought, he broke down how he sees it going.

    Du Plessis said the crucial element for both men is being able to utilize their greatest strengths, whether it’s the pressure of Strickland or the blitz assault from Whittaker.

    He gave the bold prediction that this one could come down to who wins the grappling exchanges despite both men being known for their striking.

    If this is the case, he sided with “The Reaper” to get his hand raised.

    “The fact that I really honestly can’t say off the bat means it’s gonna be a great fight. I honestly think it’s going to come down to the same thing, imposing game plans. If you let Strickland walk forward like he did with Paulo Costa and like he did with Israel Adesanya, if you give him that space and that momentum, it’s really really hard to take it back and it’s really hard to swing that fight. So, to make sure that Rob fights his fight. If Rob can do his blitzes the way he does then I think he takes that fight. I think it comes down to a wrestling and clinch game and I think Rob wins that fight.”

    Read also: VIDEO: Sean O’Malley & Merab Dvalishvili Go Back & Forth While Face To Face For UFC 306 Promo

  • Dricus Du Plessis Feels He Would Have Knocked Israel Adesanya Out If He Were In Sean Strickland’s Shoes: ‘If I Catch Him With That Shot…’

    Dricus Du Plessis Feels He Would Have Knocked Israel Adesanya Out If He Were In Sean Strickland’s Shoes: ‘If I Catch Him With That Shot…’

    Israel Adesanya returns to the Octagon at UFC 305 after taking some time off to put bad memories of his most recent outing behind him.

    Adesanya lost his middleweight title to Sean Strickland in one of the biggest title fight upsets in UFC history last year at UFC 293.

    Whilst the challenger had a great night in general, the defining moment of the fight was when he caught and dropped “The Last Stylebender” in the first round but was unable to get the finish.

    This came as such a shock to many fans who felt like Strickland simply wouldn’t be on the same level as the champion, when it came to the striking exchanges.

    Adesanya’s next opponent and the current champion paid special interest to this.

    Dricus Du Plessis Says He Would’ve Finished Israel Adesanya With The Same Strike

    Dricus Du Plessis is much more of a power striker than Strickland, who he defeated earlier this year to become the middleweight champion.

    Whilst the former champ may be very accurate and defensively sound, “Stillknocks” has the momentum and force to stop any opponent and that gives him confidence ahead of August 17.

    Du Plessis believes that he can close the show on Adesanya in their heated grudge match in Perth, especially if he’s able to land something similar to the strike Strickland landed last year.

    He spoke in a recent interview with mainevent on Fox Sports about how “The Last Stylebender” wouldn’t have made it out of the first round if it was him in there that night.

    “If I land that shot that Sean Strickland landed, the fight is over right there, 100%. We know that Strickland’s not a power puncher. I’ve felt, and Strickland’s a great boxer, his boxing is really really good. Very awkward and amazing jab, he throws that 1-2 and he does it great but he doesn’t have that starch power and he put him down. I honestly thought the fight was over but if I catch him with that shot then it’s over.”

    Read also: Leon Edwards’ Coach Slams US Timing For UFC 304 Title Fight: ‘It’s A Joke!’ 

  • Coach: Israel Adesanya Won’t Be Champion When Leon Edwards Moves Up In Weight

    Coach: Israel Adesanya Won’t Be Champion When Leon Edwards Moves Up In Weight

    A win in the main event of UFC 304 will earn Leon Edwards the third ruby on his welterweight title.

    Since stunning the MMA world with his head kick knockout of Kamaru Usman, the Brit has defended his title on two occasions heading into this rematch with Belal Muhammad on July 27 in Manchester.

    Edwards has made it clear that he has big goals in mind for his title reign at 170-pounds where he hopes to break the great Georges St-Pierre’s records.

    Though he has no plans to permanently leave welterweight at any point soon, “Rocky” also hopes to challenge himself at middleweight at some stage.

    With several top names sitting at the top of the division, it could be a very different landscape at 185-pounds by the time Edwards makes his move.

    Dave Lovell Picks Out Sean Strickland & Dricus Du Plessis As Potential Middleweight Fights For Leon Edwards

    In a recent interview with Submission Radio, Edwards’ head coach Dave Lovell was asked to give his opinion on who the middleweight champion will be when his fighter attempts to become a two-weight world champion.

    Israel Adesanya is set to challenge for the title that he has held twice before when he faces Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 305 next month but Lovell doesn’t believe that “The Last Stylebender” will be around for much longer.

    Edwards’ friendship with Adesanya makes a fight between them incredibly unlikely anyway but the Team Renegade captain doesn’t see this coming to pass.

    He believes that either the current holder or the man he won the title from, could be Edwards’ middleweight opponent.

    “I don’t think Israel [Adesanya] because in all fairness, I love him and Israel is my brother but I think he’s coming to the twilight of his career now. and if I was him, if he fights Dricus, maybe win the title, defend it once or even just win that title and retire because he’s earned enough, he’s got nothing more to prove. I wouldn’t like to see Leon fight Israel because we’re all close that way, we’re all friends so I wouldn’t like to see that.

    “Dricus maybe if Dricus is still hanging around. I think the easiest, well I take that back, one of the fights that I think would be a good fight for Leon to showcase his skills against a man, Mr Strickland, who’s a kind of come forward kind of style fighter which would suit Leon.

  • Daniel Cormier Questions Why People ‘Discredit’ Sean Strickland As Number One Contender: ‘He Beat Costa Better Than Whittaker Did!’ 

    Former two-division UFC champion Daniel Cormier has backed Sean Strickland’s claim to a title shot, as noise regarding Robert Whittaker getting the next opportunity instead continues to increase.

    Even prior to his victory last month, Strickland felt hard done by having been overlooked by the promotion for Dricus Du Plessis’ first title defense this summer. “Tarzan,” of course, lost the middleweight belt to the South African by narrow margins at UFC 297 in Canada this past January.

    He then begrudgingly accepted a bout with Paulo Costa, outpointing the former title challenger in a lackluster five-round co-main event at the UFC 302 pay-per-view in Newark. In the immediate aftermath, Strickland laid down his stance by insisting that he’ll only make the walk for a title fight next time out.

    But following Whittaker’s emphatic first-round knockout of Ikram Aliskerov in Saudi Arabia, which came months on from his own win over “Borrachinha,” it would appear that Strickland has competition…

    Cormier Asks: Why Are People ‘So Quick To Discredit’ Strickland?!

    During a video recently uploaded to his YouTube channel, Cormier gave his take on the major topics currently appearing in mixed martial arts headlines, including Khamzat Chimaev’s push for a middleweight title shot.

    Cormier questioned how Strickland keeps being left out of the discussion over who could fight the winner of Du Plessis vs. Adesanya. Ironically, “DC” initially left Strickland out himself and branded the victor of a potential Chimaev vs. Whittaker fight as next in line.

    “Khamzat vs. Robert Whittaker to determine who’s next. You know what, or Sean Strickland,” Cormier said. “I don’t understand how Sean Strickland keeps getting forgotten. He does everything he’s supposed to do. He wins the fights. He was the number one contender. He should not always seem to be put on the backburner.

    “He beat Paulo Costa better than Robert Whittaker beat Paulo Costa,” Cormier continued. “Rob goes and has that crazy fight in Saudi Arabia and we immediately start talking about him as the number one contender. What about Sean Strickland? I don’t know why people are so quick to discount this man. We saw it on his rise to the championship, we saw it when he was champion, we saw it when he was coming back. I don’t know why people are so quick to discredit this man.”

    Strickland has similarly bemoaned the growing narrative that his status as number one contender isn’t a given, and that he should battle Whittaker in a title eliminator next.

    While known for his tendency to say yes to whichever fights the UFC slides across his desk, the former champ has been firm in rejecting a possible clash with “The Reaper,” as well as any other matchup that doesn’t come with the 185-pound belt on the line.

  • MMA News Today: Conor McGregor Has ‘Eyes On’ BKFC Move After Seeing Out UFC Contract, Magomed Ankalaev Talks Neutralizing ‘Aggressive’ Francis Ngannou During Sparring, & More

    MMA News Today: Conor McGregor Has ‘Eyes On’ BKFC Move After Seeing Out UFC Contract, Magomed Ankalaev Talks Neutralizing ‘Aggressive’ Francis Ngannou During Sparring, & More

    Welcome to MMA News Today, a daily feature running down the most interesting stories in the world of mixed martial arts. For July 18, 2024, we’re taking a look at:

    • McGregor teases BKFC future
    • Ankalaev was forced to shut Ngannou down
    • Curtis doubles down on Costa call-out

    Conor McGregor Says Competing In BKFC Could Be An Option After UFC Run

    Conor McGregor has completed his first press conference for BKFC since becoming a part-owner of the promotion in April.

    He spoke ahead of BKFC 67 where “The Notorious” seemed to suggest that part of his investment in this company could see him take off the gloves and jump in the ring.

    McGregor, who is still expected to make his long-awaited UFC return later this year against Michael Chandler, told the media that he has two fights left on his current deal.

    Referring to the fighters that are set to compete on October 12 in Marbella, he said that he’s not just here to talk about these athletes but potentially mix it up with them also.

    “For me, I’ve a bit of business left with the Ultimate Fighting Championship, two fights left on my contract but for sure, we’ve got three lightweights up here on the deas and you know I have my eye on all of this. I’m not up here just as an owner, player-manager I’ll title myself on this one.”

    https://twitter.com/oocmma/status/1813909981617619434

    Magomed Ankalaev Recalls Heated Sparring Session With Francis Ngannou

    During a recent appearance on the Badaev Podcast, light heavyweight contender Magomed Ankalaev told a story about an encounter that he had with Francis Ngannou.

    Ankalaev claims that the two men sparred with one another some time ago until the former UFC heavyweight champion started to become overly aggressive towards him.

    He was left with no option but to try and avoid any danger by grabbing hold of his sparring partner until the end of the round.

    Ankalaev also states that he believes the reason Ngannou was going so hard at him in sparring was because he had knocked out one of his friends back in 2019.

    “I saw that [Ngannou] wanted to drop me. He was generally aggressive. I quickly went to his feet, put him down and held him. I was waiting for the time to run out so I could say ‘don’t come near me again’. Then we found out the reason – it turns out he is a friend of [Dalcha] Lungiambula whom I had knocked out before.”

    Chris Curtis Calls To Fight Paulo Costa And Says It Will Be Much More Entertaining Than Costa’s Fight With Sean Strickland

    Chris Curtis is continuing to call for a fight with former middleweight title challenger Paulo Costa for his next outing.

    In a recent interview on MMA Junkie Radio, “Action Man” said that a match-up between himself and Costa would be a much more entertaining affair than Costa’s last outing against Curtis’s friend and teammate, Sean Strickland.

    Curtis reflected how he studied “Borrachinha” extensively for that fight but the styles simply didn’t gel well in the co-main event of UFC 302.

    He believes that he and Costa would make for a far better watch because unlike Strickland, he will be willing to stand in front of the Brazilian to trade strikes.

    “I cornered Sean that fight. When he took that fight…I literally went back, watched all of the Costa fights, and I had like a freakin’ four-page bulletin report on what to do…everything that Costa does, when he does it, why I think he does it,” Curtis said. “I just think it’s a fight that I match up well with.

    “Costa’s usually a really fun guy to watch but the Strickland fight was just weird for him because Sean’s a weird guy to fight,” Curtis continued. “I think me and Costa, I think we can just sit there and beat on each other until somebody falls, and I’m okay with that. Sean doesn’t want to fight that way. He’s not trying to get his head bust in. I will gladly stand in front of you and we will just swing at each other.”

    Read more on the story here.

    For more MMA news, check out:

  • Chris Curtis Insists Fight With Paulo Costa Would Be More Entertaining Than Teammate Sean Strickland’s Was

    Chris Curtis Insists Fight With Paulo Costa Would Be More Entertaining Than Teammate Sean Strickland’s Was

    UFC middleweight Chris Curtis has promised to go strike for strike with Paulo Costa should the Brazilian accept his callout post-Sean Strickland loss.

    Curtis recently returned to training after recovering from the hamstring tear he sustained last time out, and he’s after a big-name fight this fall.

    Prior to suffering the severe injury in the closing moments against Brendan Allen, the pair’s rematch in a UFC Fight Night main event at the Apex this past April was competitive and among the best bouts of the year thus far.

    Always looking to put on a show, “The Action Man” is hoping to replicate that barnburner in his next fight, and he has just the opponent in mind…

    Curtis Reiterates Costa Callout, Promises Barnburner After Strickland Snoozer

    During a recent appearance on MMA Junkie Radio, Curtis reiterated his desire to fight former title challenger Paulo Costa.

    “Borrachinha’s” stock took a hit at UFC 302 last month when he fell short in a lackluster five-round affair with Curtis’ teammate, ex-champ Sean Strickland.

    Should Costa accept a clash in the cage with Strickland’s fellow Xtreme Couture standout, however, he can seemingly expect a dancing partner ready and willing to throw down in the middle of the Octagon.

    “I cornered Sean that fight. When he took that fight…I literally went back, watched all of the Costa fights, and I had like a freakin’ four-page bulletin report on what to do…everything that Costa does, when he does it, why I think he does it,” Curtis said. “I just think it’s a fight that I match up well with.

    “Costa’s usually a really fun guy to watch but the Strickland fight was just weird for him because Sean’s a weird guy to fight,” Curtis continued. “I think me and Costa, I think we can just sit there and beat on each other until somebody falls, and I’m okay with that. Sean doesn’t want to fight that way. He’s not trying to get his head bust in. I will gladly stand in front of you and we will just swing at each other.”

    Curtis initially shared his interest in keeping Xtreme Couture’s eyes locked on Costa the day after the UFC 302 event in Newark. “The Action Man” respectfully offered to throw down with the Brazilian after sympathizing with his struggles against Strickland.

    https://twitter.com/Actionman513/status/1797679068017778918
  • Former UFC Champ Lays Down How Khamzat Chimaev Can Fight The Winner of Dricus Du Plessis vs. Israel Adesanya Over Sean Strickland

    Former UFC Champ Lays Down How Khamzat Chimaev Can Fight The Winner of Dricus Du Plessis vs. Israel Adesanya Over Sean Strickland

    Khamzat Chimaev burst onto the scene by winning two UFC fights in different weight divisions within 10 days. However, the hype train that began in 2020 has derailed a bit due to his inconsistency.

    Despite defeating credible opponents like Kamaru Usman and Gilbert Burns, “Borz” has yet to fight for the title at welterweight or middleweight. He was scheduled to take on Robert Whittaker at UFC Fight Night Saudi Arabia last month, and winning the bout would have most likely solidified his first title shot.

    Unfortunately, illness once again struck the Chechen star, forcing him to withdraw on late notice. Despite that, though, Chimaev still recently called for a title shot upon his return.

    Michael Bisping recently reviewed Chimaev’s career and dismissed any chances of a championship fight next. However, the former UFC champ did reveal the one way through which the prospect can fight the winner of Dricus Du Plessis vs. Israel Adesanya.

    Bisping Explains How Chimaev Can Pass Strickland, Whittaker For UFC Middleweight Title Shot

    Bisping discussed Chimaev’s demands for a title shot upon his return on his official YouTube channel. Although “The Count” praised the Russian fighter for dominating Usman and being explosive in the Octagon, he highlighted that it isn’t enough for him to pass Whittaker and ex-middleweight king Sean Strickland in the title race.

    Bisping also pointed out Chimaev’s inconsistency and how the UFC hasn’t been in proper touch with him. He fought four times in 2020 to gain a ton of hype in MMA circles but has only fought thrice since then. “Borz” has pulled out of bouts several times due to illness or other reasons, which has naturally hurt his brand.

    “So, there’s no judgment against him for that, but the reality is for Khamzat Chimaev, the man doesn’t fight too frequently. Had one fight in 2023, two in 2022, and one in 2021. So, that’s an issue for the UFC and, certainly lately, he’s kind of been, I don’t want to say unreliable, but he’s pulled out a couple of times, okay?”

    Having said that, the former UFC middleweight champ is certain that Chimaev is still one fight away from getting a chance at gold. At the numbered event in Abu Dhabi this October, Bisping believes he should aim to secure a rescheduled clash with the #3-ranked Whittaker.

    Chimaev’s high-pace style slowed him down in the later rounds against Burns and Usman. For Bisping, a three-round battle with “Bobby Knuckles” at UFC 308 would be favorable because the Australian might have the edge in a five-round battle, as they were set for in Riyadh.

    “The man is something special. Of course, the cardio issues as the fights get longer. That is the big question, can he do that over five rounds? But Robert Whittaker, if he fought in Abu Dhabi, that would only be three rounds. And that would actually help Khamzat Chimaev.”

    “The Count” believes that a win over Whittaker would also allow Chimaev to pass Strickland for a title opportunity due to recency.

    “Rebooking Robert ‘The Reaper’ Whittaker. The fight we all wanted to see, the fight that made sense, and the fight that would, I’ll be honest, set up the next number one contender. And that’s a shame for Sean Strickland.”

  • UFC Welterweight Slams Sean Strickland For Inciting Social Media Beef To Get Attention: ‘If He’s A Man, Challenge David Goggins…’

    UFC Welterweight Slams Sean Strickland For Inciting Social Media Beef To Get Attention: ‘If He’s A Man, Challenge David Goggins…’

    It’s rare that a week goes by where Sean Strickland isn’t starting up a new beef with someone via social media.

    Whether he’s trading words with someone online or causing controversy by sparring someone that is not skilled enough to be in there with him, the former UFC middleweight champion is always producing talking points.

    His latest public feud has been with public speaker and athlete David Goggins, due to comments that Strickland made about Goggins’ military career.

    Goggins went as far as to challenge the 185-pound contender to three days of spending a training camp with him in exchange for three sparring rounds in boxing.

    One fellow member of the roster is tired of Strickland’s antics and believes that he is only doing this to make himself heard – since he isn’t the champion anymore.

    Belal Muhammad Says Sean Strickland Is Chasing Clout After Losing UFC Title

    Belal Muhammad spoke in a recent interview with The Schmo about his thoughts on Strickland’s recent beef with Goggins.

    The number one welterweight contender has never seen eye-to-eye with the often unfiltered former champion and this is no different.

    Muhammad, who is set to challenge Leon Edwards for the title at UFC 304 later this month, is very much over what he sees as Strickland’s attempts to grab more attention.

    He also dared Strickland to take Goggins up on his offer in order to really put his money where his mouth is.

    “I wouldn’t call it a [real] beef. That’s what Sean is right? He’s a troll. Nobody cares what he says anymore because he doesn’t have the belt anymore. so now he’s just starting to attack these other guys with bigger followings and things like that, just to get attention.

    “I knew what he was from the beginning, he’s fake. He’s not this tough guy that he says he is or this crazy guy that he says he is. He’s just doing stuff for clout and if he’s a man, challenge David Goggins dude… David Goggins’ workout, let’s see if you push through. Let’s see how big your heart is.”

    Read also: Kamaru Usman Calls For Leon Edwards’ ‘Killer’ To Come Out At UFC 304: ‘If You Know You’re The Top Dog…’ 

  • MMA News Today: Fans Left Bewildered After Sean O’Malley Voted ‘Best UFC Fighter’ In 2024, David Goggins Reveals DM Exchange With Strickland, & More

    MMA News Today: Fans Left Bewildered After Sean O’Malley Voted ‘Best UFC Fighter’ In 2024, David Goggins Reveals DM Exchange With Strickland, & More

    Welcome to MMA News Today, a daily feature running down the most interesting stories in the world of mixed martial arts. For July 12, 2024, we’re taking a look at:

    • Fans believe Pereira was snubbed over O’Malley
    • Goggins says Strickland has not replied to his challenge
    • Gane and Volkov set to meet again at UFC 308 in Abu Dhabi

    Fans Give Confused Reaction To Sean O’Malley Winning ‘Best UFC Fighter’ At The ESPYs

    ESPN’s annual awards, The ESPYs, took place last night where Bantamweight Champion Sean O’Malley was named the best UFC fighter.

    He came out on top in a category that featured three other world champions in Alex Pereira, Islam Makhachev and Weili Zhang.

    The instant reaction from fans online was to question how “Suga” could have possibly won the category, considering what “Poatan” has done in recent times.

    Whilst some fans questioned whether the period of time that is judged meant that the award was voted this way, many were simply baffled at the idea of Pereira not winning this award regardless of which time frame you want to look at.

    “Bro sean has fought 3 ( 4 if you county the Pedro fight) times since 2022. Alex has fought 8 smh they did bad on this”

    “Alright the UFC pushing Sean as the next superstar allegations are undeniable now”

    “what exactly is the criteria lmao”

    David Goggins Challenges Sean Strickland To Three Days Of Training For Three Rounds Of Boxing

    David Goggins vs. Sean Strickland has turned into a surprising social media beef as of late, with both men speaking about one another in videos.

    Following the former UFC middleweight champion’s comments about Navy SEALs and Goggins’ military career, the athlete and public speaker issued a challenge to him to test what Strickland is truly made of.

    “Sean Strickland, I know you’re doing all this for clickbait. We had a DM the other day, me and you, back and forth. I was pretty much DMing you because you called me a b**** and talked about my military career and going out here once again and trying to, like you said in your DM, trying to be a clown. You’re an MMA fighter and you’re also a comedian so, you know, I’m not much of a comedian at all.”

    As seen below, Goggins recently shared a look at the message that he sent to Strickland which has not received a reply as of yet, calling to train and spar with him.

    He continued to say that he is done with exchanging videos and that this is his final offer- and whether the former champion takes it or not is up to him.

    “You say you can f*** me up in training, I responded to that video to you and this is what I said. You have yet to respond to this and so anytime you want to train with me, I am ready to train with you. I am done with the videos.”

    Ciryl Gane vs. Alexander Volkov 2 Reportedly Set For UFC 308 In Abu Dhabi

    The UFC is heading back to Abu Dhabi in October for UFC 308, as has become a tradition for the MMA leader’s calendar.

    A first match-up has been reported for this card with Ag. Fight claiming that former interim heavyweight champion Ciryl Gane will be facing Alexander Volkov in a rematch on October 26.

    Many were expecting to see Gane return on the Paris card in September, after he reportedly turned down the option to fight Tom Aspinall at UFC 304 later this month.

    Volkov will be looking to avenge his loss to “Bon Gamin” in 2021 off the back of a big victory over Sergei Pavlovich in Saudi Arabia last month.

    Read more on the story here.

    For more MMA news, check out:

  • Former UFC Champ Warns Sean Strickland Against Avoiding Robert Whittaker Fight: ‘You Can’t Feel So Entitled’

    Former UFC Champ Warns Sean Strickland Against Avoiding Robert Whittaker Fight: ‘You Can’t Feel So Entitled’

    After losing the UFC middleweight title to Dricus Du Plessis, Sean Strickland bounced back by defeating Paulo Costa at UFC 302 this past June. Since then, he’s been adamant about sitting out and fighting the winner of Du Plessis vs. Israel Adesanya at UFC 305, Perth.

    However, Costa fought Strickland following a loss to Robert Whittaker. “The Reaper” has since beaten Khamzat Chimaev’s short-notice replacement Ikram Aliskerov easily to build his own case for another title shot.

    Many believe that Strickland vs. Whittaker is the perfect title eliminator fight in the UFC middleweight division. Michael Bisping agrees and recently advised “Tarzan” to change his stance on turning down such a matchup…

    Michael Bisping Reminds Sean Strickland About Downsides Of Waiting On The Sidelines

    Bisping recently discussed Strickland’s latest motorcycle accident and next fight on his YouTube channel. He laid down situations in which waiting for a title shot instead of fighting Whittaker could affect the former champ’s ability to reclaim gold.

    In the eyes of “The Count,” Strickland wouldn’t want a world where Du Plessis vs. Adesanya is razor close and results in a rematch. If, in the meantime, “The Reaper” racks up another dominant win, he’ll be more likely to get a title shot.

    “You can’t sit around. You can’t feel so entitled. You have to go out there, stake your case, continue to apply your craft, get better with every single training camp. Make the statement that you are the uncrowned champion.”

    Bisping looked at Whittaker’s impressive record as a middleweight, which contains three losses to only current or then-future champions. Because he walked out of the Aliskerov fight without damage, the Australian could feasibly return to the Octagon quickly and be the undisputed title challenger.

    It is worth noting that the former British UFC middleweight champion isn’t critical of Strickland’s principles. After the razor-close decision loss to the current titleholder and a win since, he can rightly claim a second shot.

    Nevertheless, Bisping maintained that it is still risky due to factors outside of his control.

    “You do not want to wait on the sidelines. I mean, for example, let’s say Dricus beats Izzy. That’s a big if, but let’s just say he does. What if Dricus gets injured? What if that fight is so grueling, he tears a knee, he busts his eye up, he’s got a broken jaw. He’s coming back, but it’s going to be six to nine months. Is he still going to continue to wait on the sidelines?”

    Overall, “The Count” only demands Strickland to not sit on the sidelines and do what he does best. Get inside the Octagon consistently, improve with every fight, and not let anyone else steal his claim at the title.

  • Dricus Du Plessis Recalls ‘Frustrating’ Sean Strickland Fight: ‘He Said Till Death & Just Walked Backwards’

    Dricus Du Plessis Recalls ‘Frustrating’ Sean Strickland Fight: ‘He Said Till Death & Just Walked Backwards’

    Dricus Du Plessis recently looked back on the fight that saw him crowned as the UFC middleweight champion earlier this year.

    Du Plessis is currently gearing up for his first defense of the 185-pound title, which goes down (under) in Perth, Australia, as the UFC 305 pay-per-view main event next month.

    The South African will finally square off with Israel Adesanya close to a year on from their originally planned showdown. After upsetting Robert Whittaker, Du Plessis was expected to challenge “The Last Stylebender” at UFC 293 in Sydney last September.

    But their rivalry — a sensitive and historical one born out of Du Plessis’ controversial comments regarding the UFC’s African champs — was put on the back burner after an injury to “Stillknocks.”

    In his place, Sean Strickland made the long-haul flight to Australia and capitalized in emphatic fashion, outpointing Adesanya dominantly.

    While that served as another delay in Adesanya vs. Du Plessis coming to fruition, the latter brought the matchup back to the surface when he rendered Strickland’s reign a short one at UFC 297 in Toronto this past January.

    Du Plessis Describes Fighting ‘Very Tricky’ Strickland

    During a recent appearance on the All Talk podcast, Du Plessis reflected on his experience fighting the unique style of Strickland in Canada six months ago.

    After noting his former opponent’s shock win over Adesanya, the reigning champ outlined the difficulty that comes with fighting “Tarzan’s” unorthodox approach.

    More than handling that, however, Du Plessis said his real agitation came when Strickland failed to deliver on his promise of a ‘fight-to-the-death’ war — a criticism that has since reared its head again after Strickland’s victory over Paulo Costa at UFC 302.

    “(Strickland’s) a very tricky guy. He’s hard to hit, he has a sneaky jab — not a lot of power, but he hits the target and is really, really hard to catch,” Du Plessis said. “Let me say it this way, it was frustrating (to fight him) because he said, ‘Till death,’ and he just walked backwards the whole time. So that was a little frustrating.

    “But I mean, he did catch me with that jab for the first two rounds the whole time,” Du Plessis continued. “To be honest, I felt the jabs and I just thought, ‘I’ll just go through them.’ All of a sudden, I just couldn’t see out of my eye anymore. I realized, ‘I have to start blocking these.’”

    Having successfully gotten past Strickland’s style in narrow fashion, Du Plessis is next tasked with replicating his ex-rival’s feat from 2023.

    After some heated interactions last year and a tense faceoff at the UFC 305 on-sale press conference last week, Du Plessis and Adesanya will finally throw down inside the cage on August 17 at Perth’s RAC Arena.

  • Dricus Du Plessis Matchmakes For Sean Strickland, Shuts Down Desire To Wait For Title Shot: ‘You Can Main Event That Fight On Any Card…’

    UFC middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis is locked in to prepare for his first title defense, which will come at UFC 305 against Israel Adesanya.

    Without looking past the former champion, Du Plessis is still keeping an eye on who else could challenge him for the title in the near future, with it likely coming down to two potential opponents.

    Both Sean Strickland and Robert Whittaker have held the title in the past and they’ve rebounded in recent fights from losses to the current champion.

    After Whittaker stopped Ikram Aliskerov, who was a late-notice replacement for Khamzat Chimaev, and Strickland convincingly defeated Paulo Costa, a fight between them makes a lot of sense to the champion.

    Dricus Du Plessis Says Sean Strickland vs. Robert Whittaker Should & Will Happen Next

    In an interview with Submission Radio following the first press conference for UFC 305, Du Plessis spoke about what he thinks should be next for the middleweight division.

    Strickland has made it very clear that after believing he beat Du Plessis in January and then getting the win over Costa at UFC 302, he wants to sit out in order to wait for his second shot at the title.

    The champion believes that with Strickland and Whittaker both having claims to be the next in line, a number one contender’s match-up should and will take place in the near future.

    “Stillknocks” spoke about this option and why he wants to see his two former opponents meet for the first time inside the Octagon.

    “In my opinion, how I see this playing out, you cannot not do the Whittaker versus Strickland fight. I think that’s the fight that needs to happen. Now I know Strickland when we’re at the presser said Whittaker is nothing but a blitz and it’s an easy fight and now he doesn’t want to take that fight. Let me tell you one thing, Robert Whittaker is no easy fight for anybody. Strickland, also an incredible fighter, and that is just a fight that makes so much sense. That’s a fight on it’s own, you can main event that fight on any card and I honestly think that’s how it’s gonna play out.”

    Read also: ‘This Guy Is Such A Trash Person’ – MMA Fans Annoyed After Sean Strickland Puts A Beating On Navy Seal In Sparring

  • ‘This Guy Is Such A Trash Person’ – MMA Fans Annoyed After Sean Strickland Puts A Beating On Navy Seal In Sparring

    ‘This Guy Is Such A Trash Person’ – MMA Fans Annoyed After Sean Strickland Puts A Beating On Navy Seal In Sparring

    It’s another day in the world of MMA and that means another controversial sparring video from the former UFC middleweight champion, Sean Strickland.

    Strickland is best defined by his lack of any filter and his love of sparring which, in turn, is why he has been so successful at 185 pounds.

    However, despite being one of the best middleweights in the world, he rarely holds safety in the training room as a priority.

    The latest video of Strickland getting some work in sees him fighting a former Navy Seal and the term ‘fighting’ is used incredibly loosely here.

    In a short clip, he appears to wear down his sparring partner early on and from that point on, continues to toy with him and hit him repeatedly, as his opponent stands still against the cage.

    With blood coming from his nose, the trained soldier who clearly has no right being in there with Strickland, repeatedly falls to the floor only for the former middleweight champ to tell him to get back up to his feet again.

    MMA Fans React To Sean Strickland Putting A Beating On A Navy Seal

    MMA fans reacted on social media to the latest video of Strickland beating someone up for seemingly his own enjoyment.

    Of course, the sparring partner would have surely known what he was in for given the reputation of the man that he would be standing across the cage from.

    Strickland posted on social media before the video was published online where he said that despite his dislike of Navy Seals, the guy earned his respect.

    “This guy is such a trash person”

    “Strickland when they fight back”

    “Sean good at dominating non pros lol”

    “It’s almost like they are completely different skill sets.”

    “Other guy was barely fighting back. Why doesn’t Sean do this to professional fighters??”

    “What’s the point of this ?”

    “How did bro do worse than Sneako?”

    “why would anyone actually think they could do this?”

    https://twitter.com/silversteinmma/status/1807976673834320303

    Read also: VIDEO: Israel Adesanya Reacts To Longtime Rival Alex Pereira’s Knockout Of Jiří Procházka At UFC 303

  • Paulo Costa Receives Respectful Callout From Sean Strickland’s Teammate After UFC 302: ‘Would Be An Honor’

    Following his second setback of 2024, UFC middleweight contender Paulo Costa would appear to have at least one option already for his return to action.

    While he impressed in defeat against one former champion in Robert Whittaker at UFC 298 this past February, the same can’t be said for Costa’s performance opposite another on June 1.

    In the co-main event of UFC 302, “Borrachinha” looked to climb the ladder at the expense of Sean Strickland, who was making his first appearance since losing the title in Canada earlier this year.

    Although the pair promised a bloody brawl during fight week, that was far from the case inside Prudential Center, with “Tarzan” ultimately emerging victorious from a lackluster affair.

    In his first statement post-fight, Costa lamented his strategy and insisted that he will return to ‘taking heads off’ next time out. And it seems that one of Strickland’s teammates is among those interested in given the Brazilian that opportunity…

    Chris Curtis Interested In Costa Clash Upon Return From Injury 

    Having seen Costa receive heavy criticism from fans and analysts after his disappointing display in Newark on Saturday night, Chris Curtis took to social media with some words of encouragement.

    “The Action Man” knows full well the struggle that comes with solving Strickland’s unique style having gone numerous rounds with him in the training room. With that in mind, he sympathized with “Borrachinha.”

    And Curtis concluded his message with a proposal, offering to stand and bang with Costa upon his return from injury later this year.

    https://twitter.com/Actionman513/status/1797679068017778918

    “Anybody who has sparred Strickland knows he is a weird style to deal with. @BorrachinhaMMA no shame man, it happens,” Curtis wrote. “If you (want) someone in the middle and swing til someone goes down, I’m cleared soon and looking to fight in September. Would be an honour. @Mickmaynard2”

    Curtis is currently on the shelf after suffering a torn hamstring late on in his memorable five-round war rematch Brendan Allen at the Apex this past April. 

    While that result kept him at #15 in the rankings, it stands to reason that Costa will need to fight down the pecking order next time out after slipping to #8 following his second defeat of 2024.