Former undisputed middleweight champion, Sean Strickland appears to be fearful of the United State’s presence in the sport of mixed martial arts and the UFC as a whole – claiming a host of talented fighters are likely to be replaced by the dominance of Dagestani contenders and Brazilian stars.
Strickland, a former undisputed titleholder at 185lbs, returned to winning ways at UFC 302 back in May, landing a split decision win over former title challenger, Paulo Costa.
The victory came as Strickland’s first since he dropped his middleweight crown against incumbent gold holder, Dricus du Plessis at UFC 297, with the latter now slated to meet soon-to-be common-foe, Israel Adesanya at UFC 305 next month in a heated grudge match.
And hoping to sit on his spot in the rankings as he eyes a title rematch with either du Plessis or Adesanya, Strickland openly turned down a definitive title-eliminator against former champion, Robert Whittaker.
Sean Strickland unhappy with UFC stare of affairs
Sharing his thoughts on the future of the sport – and particularly in the emerging talent, outspoken contender, Strickland claimed American nationals in the UFC are at risk of being replaced by their Dagestani, Russian, and Brazilian counterparts.
“At one point, there’s gonna be no f*cking Americans left in the UFC,” Sean Strickland told MMA Mania. “We’re all gonna be watching Dagestanis, and Russians, Brazilians fighting. No one’s gonna give a f*ck. So, that’s what I think about that, you know. Let’s the make the UFC American again.
Winning the undisputed middleweight crown back in September of last year as a massive underdog, Strickland landed a one-sided shutout decision win over the above-mentioned, Adesanya to mint himself as the undisputed gold holder.
Who do you want to see Sean Strickland fight in his UFC return?