Tag: Sean Strickland

Israel Adesanya reacts as Sean Strickland confirmed as number one contender after UFC 305: ‘I like it’

Israel Adesanya reacts as Sean Strickland confirmed as number one contender after UFC 305: 'I like it'Slated to headline UFC 305 this weekend in a title grudge match with arch-rival, Dricus du Plessis, former two-time…

Israel Adesanya reacts as Sean Strickland confirmed as number one contender after UFC 305: 'I like it'

Slated to headline UFC 305 this weekend in a title grudge match with arch-rival, Dricus du Plessis, former two-time middleweight champion, Israel Adesanya claims he “likes” the idea of a rematch with Sean Strickland – who was confirmed as the number one contender to the throne by Dana White overnight.

Adesanya, a former two-time undisputed middleweight gold holder, has been out of action since he took on the outspoken, Strickland back in September of last year ‘Downunder’ – losing his title in a stunning unanimous decision loss to the massive underdog.

Israel Adesanya likes the idea of facing Sean Strickland after UFC 305

And taking on promotional-perfect star, du Plessis this weekend in Australia, former two-time champion, Adesanya appears most definitely receptive to news that the victor of the UFC 305 headliner will face off with Strickland, in a bid to avenge just his second defeat at the 185lbs limit.

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“Oh, really?” Israel Adesanya asked The Mac Life when he learned of Sean Strickland’s status as number one contender after UFC 305. “Ok, cool. That’s nice, I didn’t think the UFC would announce it [who the number one contender is] like that but I thought maybe (Robert) Whittaker versus Khamzat (Chimaev).”

“I have to think about it – I like it,” Israel Adesanya claimed. “I don’t mind it, I like it. Cool.”

Israel Adesanya Fights
Image via: Getty

Slated to land himself a rematch against either Adesanya or du Plessis ahead of UFC 305, Strickland dropped the undisputed middleweight crown against the Pretoria native back in January of this year in Canada, in a controversial split decision loss – which he has been vocal about since.

Israel Adesanya Next Fight

Returning to winning ways at UFC 302 back in May, Strickland turned in an impressive decision win over former title challenger, Paulo Costa in Newark, New Jersey. 

UFC Rankings Report: Serghei Spivac Ties Stipe Miocic After UFC Fight Night Main Event Win

As always, the latest action on offer inside the Octagon has seen some climb the ladder toward contention and others fall away. And in the aftermath of UFC Fight Night: Marcin Tybura vs. Serghei Spivac, MMA News has you covered with this week’s updates to the official UFC rankings. Men’s Pound-For-Pound: There was one change to the male […]

Continue Reading UFC Rankings Report: Serghei Spivac Ties Stipe Miocic After UFC Fight Night Main Event Win at MMA News.

As always, the latest action on offer inside the Octagon has seen some climb the ladder toward contention and others fall away.

And in the aftermath of UFC Fight Night: Marcin Tybura vs. Serghei Spivac, MMA News has you covered with this week’s updates to the official UFC rankings.

Men’s Pound-For-Pound: There was one change to the male P4P order this week and it comes toward the bottom, with Charles Oliveira (#14) getting boosted above his fellow former UFC champion Sean Strickland (#15).

Women’s Pound-for-Pound: No changes.

Women’s Strawweight: No changes.

Women’s Flyweight: No changes.

Women’s Bantamweight: Macy Chiasson has received a late reward for her efforts at UFC 303 in late June, moving up one spot to #4 at 135 pounds at the expense of former title challenger Irena Aldana (#5).

Further down, Yana Santos has returned to the top 10 courtesy of her victory over Chelsea Chandler this past weekend, climbing above Miesha Tate (#11) and Pannie Kianzad (#12). the former of whom has dropped three positions. The defeated Chandler, meanwhile, remains clinging on to a ranking at #15 despite not boasting a single victory in the weight class.

Flyweight: No changes.

Bantamweight: No changes.

Featherweight: No changes.

Lightweight: No changes.

Welterweight: No changes.

Middleweight: No changes.

Light Heavyweight: At 205 pounds, former title challenger Dominick Reyes has edged closer to the top 10, moving up to #13 and swapping positions with Bogdan Guskov (#14).

Heavyweight: Serghei Spivac returned to winning ways in Saturday’s main event, avenging his 2020 loss to Marcin Tybura by locking the Polish veteran in an armbar inside the opening minutes. As a result, “Polar Bear” has risen by two places to #7, where he’s met a man on the opposite trajectory in the great Stipe Miocic. The ex-champ has slipped another spot to share that step of the ladder with Spivac.

Those changes have resulted in Jailton Almeida climbing one spot to #6 and the defeated Tybura slipping a place to #9.

You can view the full updated UFC rankings here.

Continue Reading UFC Rankings Report: Serghei Spivac Ties Stipe Miocic After UFC Fight Night Main Event Win at MMA News.

Robert Whittaker On The ‘Million Dollar Question’ That Could Determine Who Wins UFC 305 Main Event

Robert Whittaker has his eyes firmly set on the upcoming middleweight title clash between Dricus Du Plessis and Israel Adesanya, which will headline UFC 305, and for good reason. Recently, he shared his thoughts on how this highly anticipated bout might unfold. “Stillknocks” is poised to put his middleweight title on the line for the […]

Continue Reading Robert Whittaker On The ‘Million Dollar Question’ That Could Determine Who Wins UFC 305 Main Event at MMA News.

Robert Whittaker has his eyes firmly set on the upcoming middleweight title clash between Dricus Du Plessis and Israel Adesanya, which will headline UFC 305, and for good reason. Recently, he shared his thoughts on how this highly anticipated bout might unfold.

“Stillknocks” is poised to put his middleweight title on the line for the first time in a rivalry-fueled showdown against Adesanya, scheduled for this weekend at the RAC Arena in Perth, Western Australia.

Du Plessis was initially lined up to face Adesanya following his knockout win over Whittaker at UFC 290 in July 2023. However, destiny intervened, as an injury sidelined the undefeated South African contender. Meanwhile, “The Last Stylebender” suffered a shocking loss, surrendering his title to Strickland at UFC 293 last September.

Du Plessis marked his victorious comeback by edging out Strickland in a split decision, capturing the 185-pound title at UFC 297 this past January. With renewed confidence, he has boldly declared his belief that he will defeat Adesanya, who is returning to the Octagon after an 11-month self-imposed hiatus—the longest break of his UFC career.

If that scenario unfolds, “Stillknocks” has hinted that his next title defense will likely be against the winner of Whittaker’s upcoming clash with the undefeated Khamzat Chimaev, scheduled for UFC 308 in Abu Dhabi on October 26.

Having squared off against both UFC 305 main eventers—especially Adesanya, whom he’s faced twice—”The Reaper” possesses a rare perspective on the hurdles each will likely face when they clash in the Octagon this Saturday night…

Whittaker Predicts Adesanya’s Lessons From Strickland Loss Could Affect Du Plessis Bout

During a recent appearance on the MMArcade Podcast, Whittaker delved into the upcoming clash between Du Plessis and Adesanya, noting that it’s hard for him to predict a clear winner. The former UFC middleweight champion pointed out that both fighters last stepped into the Octagon against Strickland, but their contrasting strategies led to very different results.

“I guess it’s very hard to put a hard pick on either one of them,” Whittaker said. “But I’ll say all we can look at is historically, like their previous fights. Dricus, in his last fight against Strickland, moved forward, put pressure on Strickland, didn’t let Strickland do that to him, shut his game down, was very aggressive, created that space, and didn’t let Strickland really find the rhythm that he likes to fight in.

Strickland, prior to that fight, fought Adesanya and did exactly that to Israel—pushed into his space and didn’t allow Adesanya to utilize that dangerous space that he likes fighting in. He crowded him to a point where he didn’t let him have any free distancing from the fence so that he could move away. He kept Adesanya’s back to the fence for 90% of the fight and beat Adesanya by decision.”

“The Reaper” went on to highlight that a pivotal aspect of this fight will be whether Adesanya has fine-tuned his skills during his time off after the loss to Strickland. He noted that it will be crucial to see if Adesanya can effectively counter Du Plessis’ relentless pressure and close-quarters exchanges.

“Dricus was able to push that plan against Strickland that Strickland was able to push against Adesanya, so you would have to think Dricus is going to push that same plan on Adesanya. And I guess the million-dollar question is, what has Izzy done in his layoff since the Strickland fight to make sure that doesn’t happen again? Because you can bet your bottom dollar Dricus is going to push into that.”

Continue Reading Robert Whittaker On The ‘Million Dollar Question’ That Could Determine Who Wins UFC 305 Main Event at MMA News.

UFC Full Fight: Relive Dricus Du Plessis’ Title Win Over Sean Strickland Ahead Of His UFC 305 Defense 

UFC 305 headliner Dricus Du Plessis achieved his title ambitions on mixed martial arts’ biggest stage this past January. The middleweight champion will return in the main event of this weekend’s pay-per-view card at the RAC Arena in Perth, Australia, where he’s tasked with defending his belt in a grudge match against Israel Adesanya. The South African’s […]

Continue Reading UFC Full Fight: Relive Dricus Du Plessis’ Title Win Over Sean Strickland Ahead Of His UFC 305 Defense  at MMA News.

UFC 305 headliner Dricus Du Plessis achieved his title ambitions on mixed martial arts’ biggest stage this past January.

The middleweight champion will return in the main event of this weekend’s pay-per-view card at the RAC Arena in Perth, Australia, where he’s tasked with defending his belt in a grudge match against Israel Adesanya.

The South African’s first chance to extend his reign comes seven months on from his crowning at UFC 297 in Toronto, Canada. He headlined the promotion’s first PPV of 2024 in competition for the 185-pound gold, which was then held by Sean Strickland.

“Stillknocks” brought the American’s divisional rule to a quick end, falling on the right side of a split decision after five rounds of competitive action to rip the title from Strickland’s grasp in his very first defense.

Ahead of Saturday’s event, the promotion has released the full Du Plessis vs. Strickland fight from UFC 297 on its official YouTube channel.

Du Plessis will now look to ensure he achieves a feat that Strickland failed to this year by recording a successful defense. To do so, he must stall Adesanya’s push for a historic three-time title crowning.

The Nigerian-New Zealander will be making his return after losing the belt to Strickland close to a year ago. To regain it, Adesanya has his South African rival’s UFC 0 in his sights.

Continue Reading UFC Full Fight: Relive Dricus Du Plessis’ Title Win Over Sean Strickland Ahead Of His UFC 305 Defense  at MMA News.

Dricus Du Plessis Rejects Sean Strickland’s Title Shot: Wants Robert Whittaker or Khamzat Chimaev

Dricus Du Plessis Rejects Sean Strickland’s Title Shot: Wants Robert Whittaker or Khamzat ChimaevThe UFC Middleweight Champion Dricus Du Plessis has rejected Sean Strickland’s demands for a title shot. The South African…

Dricus Du Plessis Rejects Sean Strickland’s Title Shot: Wants Robert Whittaker or Khamzat Chimaev

The UFC Middleweight Champion Dricus Du Plessis has rejected Sean Strickland’s demands for a title shot. The South African titleholder had a close match with Strickland in which he captured UFC gold, but he thinks the fight against the US-born fighter will not be worth it.

Dricus Du Plessis On the Middleweight Title Picture

Looking at the middleweight division, Dricus Du Plessis explained that the winner between Robert Whittaker and Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 308 will get a shot at the middleweight crown. Robert Whittaker is a former UFC titleholder with a highly impressive career. ‘Borz’ Chimaev is an unbeaten fighter with tons of hype around his name. On discussing these two, the South African champion, in an interview with Shak MMA, said:

“If Whittaker beats Khamzat, he’s 100 percent getting the title shot. The UFC’s been wanting to give Khamzat a title shot since his debut. Maybe if it’s a draw, Khamzat will still get the title shot. Let’s see if he makes it to the fight.

“Whittaker does have the two wins. Strickland shouldn’t have been there in the first place, he got it by default and then proved that he deserved to be there. So that’s amazing. The winner of Khamzat and Whittaker is gonna get the title shot.” [Ht MMAMania]

Dricus Du Plessis Rejects Sean Strickland

Sean Strickland

On a potential showdown against Sean Strickland, Dricus Du Plessis said:

“Strickland says he’s gonna wait until he gets a title shot. He’s gonna wait for quite a while, in my opinion.”

Strickland, who is best known for his work outside the octagon, was able to capture the title against Israel Adesanya but lost his crown against Dricus Du Plessis. The US-born fighter Sean Strickland earned one win in the middleweight division, a snoozer, against Paulo Costa, and is now demanding a title shot. Du Plessis says no, and adds:

“It’s about the fight the fans want to see. Which one’s going to be the biggest fight? Which one do the fans think is going to be the best fight?”

But before he can look at his next title defense, Dricus Du Plessis will look to defend his middleweight title against the former champion Israel Adesanya. The two are booked to meet at UFC 305 on August 18.

Sean Strickland Questions Compassion for Homeless: ‘They’re Drugged Out Zombies’

Sean Strickland claims thoughts of being a father terrify him growing up sucked UFC 302Former UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland questioned why people show compassion for the homeless. Strickland has been known to…

Sean Strickland claims thoughts of being a father terrify him growing up sucked UFC 302

Former UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland questioned why people show compassion for the homeless.

Strickland has been known to voice his opinion, whether it is controversial or not. In his latest questionable comments, Strickland wondered why people show compassion to homeless people as he says they are just drug addicts who did it to themselves.

“I just don’t understand the love and compassion for homeless people. These people are drugged out zombies.. They’re not down on there luck trying to get better, they’re drug zombies They bring drugs and crime around your children. Yall need to man up and sack up,” Strickland wrote on X.

After Strickland’s comments, MMA journalist Helen Yee responded by saying she used to volunteer at a homeless shelter and what the former champ said it was not true.

“There is a difference between the guy at a shelter looking for a job and a guy doing the crack zombie walk past a park,” Strickland responded. “Big difference…”

It was a comment that not many fans agreed by Sean Strickland, but the former champ often makes comments that people don’t agree with.

Sean Strickland

Sean Strickland holding out for a title shot

Sean Strickland returned to the win column back in June with a decision win over Paulo Costa. It was his first fight after dropping his middleweight title by split decision to Dricus Du Plessis.

After the win over Costa, Sean Strickland made it clear that he would be holding out for a title shot.

“I’m going to wait,” Strickland said at the evening’s post-fight press conference (via MMAFighting). “I f*cking paid my f*cking dues. I paid my dues. I got f*cking robbed [at UFC 297] … we all know I got f*cking robbed, at least Dricus doesn’t back up. So I’m going to sit my f*cking ass in the gym and I’m going to be a team player and I’m going to f*cking wait, and I’m going to f*cking wait until they say, ‘Sean, go beat this man.’”

Sean Strickland is 29-6 as a pro and coming off the win over Costa.