The Sean Strickland era is about to be put to the test.
Gold is on the line in the Middleweight division at UFC 297 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada this weekend (Sat., Jan. 20, 2024). Strickland, 32, headlines the event when he takes on top-ranked contender, Dricus Du Plessis, in a brewing grudge match.
To win the title, Strickland dethroned the two-time former champion, Israel Adesanya, with one of 2023’s most stunning performances. The unanimous decision win (watch highlights) was a display of defensive brilliance from the American, who vocally criticized “The Last Stylebender’s” lifestyle at every encounter beforehand. Ahead of his first title defense, “Tarzan” continued that theme when describing what the difference is between himself and other champions in mixed martial arts (MMA).
“At some point, we all lose,” Strickland told ESPN. “You can be like ‘Izzy,’ laying in a bathtub of flower petals and you could have an entourage of people following you around, but at some point, sometimes I make fun of you for having sex with your dog. Then you’re gonna crumble as a human being and get a DUI. That’s just not me because like, I’m level.
“You’re not gonna see me laying in a bathtub of rose petals and telling you I’m the greatest in the world,” he continued. “I’m just a f—king idiot, who goes and gets hit in the head for money, and currently, I’m the best at not getting hit in the head. At the end of the day, that’s all it is.”
While Adesanya has yet to fight again since the loss, Strickland can extend his current winning streak to four with a win over Du Plessis. The match up is the first undisputed UFC Middleweight title since November 2017 to feature fighters other than Adesanya or Robert Whittaker.
Remember that MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 297 fight card right here, starting with the early ESPN+ “Prelims” matches online, which are scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. ET (simulcast on ESPNEWS at 8 p.m. ET), before the pay-per-view (PPV) main card start time at 10 p.m. ET (also on ESPN+).
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