Jared Cannonier believes the world needs more of Sean Strickland and his approach to life.
Strickland has been vocal in interviews and on social media as he speaks his mind and doesn’t hold back. To many, they don’t want to ruffle any feathers, but Strickland doesn’t care. For Cannonier, he says that is a welcomed sight and something he wishes more fighters would do.
“That’s absolutely why. I don’t like having to figure you out. Be who you are. If you’re not being honest with me, you’re definitely not being honest with yourself. You’re just putting on another face. You’re hiding your true self, and I don’t trust that,” said Cannonier to LowKick MMA. “I don’t trust somebody who’s hiding their true selves. If you’ve done something bad, that’s shadow work that needs to be done within that individual, so that they can come out and be their authentic self, so they can love themselves in front of the world, you know what I’m saying? Without having to hide ‘hide this part of me, hide that part of me.’
“I do appreciate that (in Sean Strickland). The world needs more of that,” added Cannonier. “We’ve been living in this Dionysus-themed thing, with the social media and the media in general. People just put on faces, they put on masks whenever they go in front of a camera or in front of other people. I find it hard to trust that. One thing I will trust is somebody who’s gonna be themselves in front of me, whether you’re gonna be my friend or my enemy, I wanna know who you are and what’s your intent here?”
Although Cannonier believes the world needs more Stricklands, he has gotten in trouble for some of the things he has said online. He does cross the line on multiple occasions, but as Cannonier says, that is truly Strickland, and he isn’t hiding anything.
Jared Cannonier is set to return in the co-main event of UFC 271 on February 12 as he takes on Derek Brunson in a number one contender bout. Sean Strickland, meanwhile, headlines the February 5 Fight Night card opposite Jack Hermansson.
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