UFC middleweight Sean Strickland is excited for the Conor McGregor-esque freedom he’ll have if he becomes a champion in the promotion.
While McGregor has undoubtedly grown into the biggest star the sport of MMA has ever seen, largely thanks to the Octagon success that saw him become the UFC’s first simultaneous two-division champion, much of his behavior outside the cage has left a lot to be desired.
From his controversial verbal attacks on José Aldo, Khabib Nurmagomedov, and Dustin Poirier, which included some distasteful comments about family; religion; and some nations, to incidents beyond the sport; the “Notorious” Irishman is certainly a polarizing figure.
Aside from punching an elderly man in a Dublin pub, multiple arrests, an accusation of assault from an Italian DJ, and seemingly looking for a fight against multi-platinum recording artist Machine Gun Kelly, perhaps McGregor’s most notable incident came prior to the UFC 223 event in 2018.
The former two-division titleholder threw a steel dolly through a bus carrying a number of fighters scheduled to compete at the pay-per-view, including rival Khabib. The incident left Michael Chiesa with a cut, Ray Borg with glass in his eye, and Rose Namajunas with long-lasting trauma.
But despite his multiple run-ins with the law and criticized actions, McGregor’s place at the top of the UFC has remained secure and his status as one of the biggest superstars in sport untouched.
That’s a level of freedom that intrigues one controversial fighter…
Strickland: “When I’m Champion, I Can Go Full Conor McGregor”
One man who’s certainly joined McGregor in the upper-echelons of controversy is #7-ranked middleweight Strickland. While his carefree attitude has entertained some, his questionable remarks, including about homosexuality, have caused anger across some parts of the MMA community.
At UFC Vegas 47 media day on Wednesday, “Tarzan” revealed he’d toned down his personality early on in his career to ensure he made it to the big leagues. Now that he’s there and competing towards the top, he’s enjoying the freedom to express himself and say “offensive” things.
While some would suggest becoming a champion would require a level of company representation, Strickland looks at McGregor’s past and licks his lips.
“It’s even better, because when I’m champion I can go full Conor McGregor,” Strickland told reporters. “I can go and fucking hit an old guy in a bar, fucking throw a fucking (dolly), try and fucking assault Khabib’s manager Ali (Abdelaziz), it’s fucking even better dude.”
In Strickland’s way of jumping closer to Israel Adesanya’s gold and a McGregor level of freedom is Jack Hermansson. The pair will collide in this weekend’s UFC Vegas 47 main event, with both looking to stake their claim for a title shot.
Would you like to see Sean Strickland reach the top of the UFC’s middleweight food chain?
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