Sparring with Sean Strickland is not advised.
Power Slapper Coltin Cole found out the hard way when he stepped inside the ring with the reigning UFC middleweight world champion during a recent episode of PowerSlap: Road to the Title. Cole.
“Who wants to box?” Strickland asked the group of PowerSlap hopefuls working out at the facility. Cole quickly stepped forward prompting Strickland to ask if he had any boxing experience. Cole claimed to have had one professional boxing match, 22 amateur MMA fights, and twelve pro MMA fights.
That’s all Strickland needed to hear.
As expected, ‘Tarzan’ didn’t hold back during their brief encounter, landing some brutal body shots that eventually dropped Cole. It was just another day at the office for Strickland, but Cole was left the worse for wear, noticing a painful lump developing over his ribs. It’s uncertain if Cole suffered a broken rib, but he was noticeably struggling to move.
On Saturday, January 20, Strickland will put his 185-pound crown on the line for the first time since claiming the crown with a decisive unanimous decision victory over Israel Adesanya in September.
Standing in Strickland’s way of his first successful defense at UFC 297 is Dricus Du Plessis, a South African finisher riding an eight-fight win streak, including a stunning second-round knockout of Robert Whittaker over the summer.