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Sean Strickland rips ‘Weak man’ Paulo Costa with UFC 302 fight in jeopardy: ‘I thought you would man up’

Sean Strickland blasts weak man Paulo Costa with UFC 301 fight in jeopardy I thought you would man up Former UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland has taken aim at Paulo Costa as he claims the Brazilian has yet…

Former UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland has taken aim at Paulo Costa as he claims the Brazilian has yet to sign his contract for their UFC 302 fight.

Strickland and Costa are set to serve in a five-round co-main event fight at UFC 302 on June 1 in Newark, New Jersey in a highly-anticipated bout. It’s an intriguing scrap and a crucial one for the division, but taking to social media, Sean Strickland claimed Costa may be out of the fight.

Is costa out? pic.twitter.com/ImSS63WcGj

— Sean Strickland (@SStricklandMMA) May 15, 2024

“Goddamn, Costa. I’ve heard you’ve yet to sign that contract,” Strickland said. “I’ll tell you what, man. I didn’t f*cking believe it. I did not think you’d react like a coward. I thought you would man up, sack up. Instead, you’re acting like you’ve got f*cking ovaries. I went onto Google. I did the right things, gave you the benefit of the doubt. I went onto Google and I noticed something, man. After you fought Izzy, you went downhill. You went on that f*cking deep end, my man. I don’t know what f*cking happened in that little f*cking pea brain you have.

Sean Strickland settles fighter pay issue with UFC execs agrees to clash with Paulo Costa in June — Mandatory Credit: Zuffa LLC

“Do we need to get someone for you to talk to, my man? Do we need to sit you down and have you talk about your f*cking feelings? I think therapy is for weak men. Let me tell you something, dude. You’re being a weak f*cking man. If you can’t sack up and make this sh*t happen, we’ll get someone for you to talk to. Don’t disappoint me. Don’t disappoint the fans. Let me make you f*cking bleed,” Strickland continued.

Sean Strickland threatens to stab Dricus du Plessis at UFC 297 if he mentions abuse — Mandatory Credit: Zuffa LLC

The UFC still has the fight on their schedule for UFC 302, but after Strickland’s comments, fans are now worried that the fight might be off.

Paulo Costa responds to Sean Strickland’s claims

After Sean Strickland’s comments, Paulo Costa took to social media to respond to the former champ.

Grab n go mtfk https://t.co/EhRzrHRKzP pic.twitter.com/vrLqcfqQPJ

— Paulo Costa ( Borrachinha ) (@BorrachinhaMMA) May 16, 2024

Costa tweeted out a graphic of a signed contract so fans are hoping that means the Brazilian will indeed sign the contract and the fight remains on.

Sean Strickland nearly fought Khamzat Chimaev in Saudi Arabia before booking Paulo Costa fight at UFC 302

Before Sean Strickland booked his June 1 clash with Paulo Costa, the UFC was looking to book a bout…

Before Sean Strickland booked his June 1 clash with Paulo Costa, the UFC was looking to book a bout between the former middleweight world champion and undefeated Chechen monster Khamzat Chimaev.

Strickland’s coach, Eric Nicksick, told James Lynch during a recent interview that the promotion was targeting a fight between the two at UFC Saudi Arabia on June 22 before pivoting to Costa. According to Nicksick, the fight was scrapped due to travel-related issues on Strickland’s side.

“I know they [UFC] were hoping for maybe Khamzat, but I don’t think Sean can travel to Saudi Arabia or something; I’m not 100% sure,” Nicksick said. “But I know Khamzat’s name was possibly kicked around. Khamzat is going to be a big draw in Saudi, and that fight is more about location than it was about the opponent, in my opinion” (h/t Sportskeeda).

Instead, Khamzat Chimaev will face Robert Whittaker when the UFC makes its promotional debut inside Kingdom Arena in the Saudi Arabian capital of Riyadh next month.

Sean Strickland and Paulo Costa Desperately Seeking a Win at UFC 302

Three weeks before ‘Borz’ steps back inside the Octagon, UFC 302 will emanate from the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey with a one-two punch of can’t-miss fights — chief among them being a massive lightweight world title headliner pitting reigning and defending 155-pound champion Islam Makhachev against division staple Dustin Poirier.

In the co-main event, fans will see Sean Strickland look to bounce back after surrendering the middleweight strap to Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 297 in January. Standing in Strickland’s way of a return to the win column will be Paulo Costa, a Brazilian star determined to climb his way back into the title picture after falling short against Robert Whittaker in February.

Costa’s last win inside the Octagon came in August 2022 during an oddly entertaining scrap with another former 185-pound titleholder, Luke Rockhold.

Video – UFC star Sean Strickland pulls gun on kids playing ding-dong ditch

Sean Strickland’s house is not the one you want to play ding-dong ditch at. A couple of kids with…

Sean Strickland’s house is not the one you want to play ding-dong ditch at.

A couple of kids with nothing better to do in the middle of the night nearly found out the hard way after ringing the former middleweight champ’s doorbell at 1 a.m.

Strickland strolled out of his home sporting a robe and a handgun.

It’s certainly not the first time Strickland has brandished a handgun in the face of some suspicious goings-on. Last year, he pulled a gun on a man who appeared to be lurking around his vehicle. Believing the man was looking to steal his truck, Strickland approached and stuck a gun in his face, only to find out that local authorities were actively searching for the individual following a domestic incident.

Another instance nearly saw Strickland pull heat on his own friends and family after throwing him a surprise birthday party in his Las Vegas residence.

Sean Strickland returns to the Octagon at UFC 302

After surrendering his 185-pound crown to Dricus Du Plessis in January, Strickland will return to the Octagon on Saturday, June 1 for a middleweight scrap with Paulo Costa. Initially, ‘Tarzan’ turned down the opportunity after the UFC made a surprisingly low offer considering his status as a former champion.

Days after venting his frustration on social media, the UFC came correct with a new offer, prompting Strickland to sign on the dotted line and jump straight into training camp.

Currently, Strickland sits as the No. 1 ranked contender in the division. If he delivers a solid showing against ‘The Eraser’ at UFC 302, he could very well earn an opportunity to reclaim the middleweight title — once Dricus Du Plessis and Israel Adesanya settle some business first.

Sean Strickland vows to make ‘dirty Brazilian’ Paulo Costa bleed in anticipated UFC 302 fight

Sean Strickland is going to make Paulo Costa bleed. On Saturday, June 1, Ultimate Fighting Championship returns to the…

Sean Strickland is going to make Paulo Costa bleed.

On Saturday, June 1, Ultimate Fighting Championship returns to the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey for a stacked night of fights headlined by a lightweight title clash between reigning champion Islam Makhachev and No. 4 ranked contender Dustin Poirier.

Also scheduled to go down that night is a high-stakes middleweight showdown between former titleholder Sean Strickland and Paulo Costa.

Initially, Costa claimed that Strickland had turned down the proposed fight which prompted ‘Tarzan’ to clarify that he didn’t turn down the fight — he turned down the UFC’s lowball offer to fight on seven weeks’ notice. That has since been resolved, resulting in the bout being officially announced by Dana White during the UFC 300 post-fight press conference.

Gearing up for their summertime scrap, Strickland sent his opponent a message on Instagram in an unsurprisingly Strickland-esque way.

“You know, you guys, I like Costa. He’s a funny guy. He makes me laugh. He’s pro-free speech. I like that guy,” Strickland said in a video. “But I’m going to make that dirty Brazilian bleed. I’m going to do it for Brazil because Brazil doesn’t even like Costa. So, hey, Brazil, this is for you guys. Let’s get it done.”

Sean Strickland and Paulo Costa Looking to get back in the win column

UFC 302 will be Sean Strickland’s first fight since surrendering the 185-pound crown to current champ Dricus Du Plessis.

‘Tarzan’ lobbied hard for an immediate rematch with ‘Stillknocks,’ but with the promotion intent on booking DDP’s first title defense against two-time titleholder Israel Adesanya, Strickland will have to fight down in the rankings before bagging another shot at UFC gold.

Competing for the first time in a year and a half, Costa returned at UFC 288 for a fight with Robert Whittaker. ‘The Eraser’ came up short, suffering a unanimous decision defeat at the hands of ‘The Reaper.’

Israel Adesanya reflects on Sean Strickland’s Australian fan following at UFC 293: ‘They’re racists’

Israel Adesanya thinks Sean Strickland’s fans are just a bunch of racists — the ones in Australia anyway. Perhaps…

Israel Adesanya thinks Sean Strickland’s fans are just a bunch of racists — the ones in Australia anyway.

Perhaps the only thing more surprising than Strickland’s dominant five-round showing against ‘The Last Stylebender’ at UFC 293 was the overwhelming amount of support that ‘Tarzan’ received ahead of their unlikely title tilt. Dawning a Crocodile Dundee-style hat and a “for the people” t-shirt, Strickland captured the hearts of Aussies.

It was a frustrating realization for Adesanya who lives in New Zealand — a hop, skip, and a jump away from the land of Oz.

Looking back on Strickland’s unlikely fan following ahead of their September clash, Israel Adesanya labeled the former champ’s supporters in the country a bunch of racists before taking a dig at the outspoken star’s abbreviated title run.

“Nah, they’re racists,” Adesanya told Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour. “I think it was just me, them, it wasn’t my week. It was just him. He knows how to pander. He’s a great politician, I’ll put it that way. It was just his week, his moment to shine, and what a reign!”

An interesting take from the man who once questioned, “Who the f*ck is this cracker?” in reference to current middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis.

Israel Adesanya unleashes some more on Dricus Du Plessis pic.twitter.com/VjdGcFmM8P

— MMA Mania (@mmamania) April 27, 2023

Israel Adesanya vs. Dricus Du Plessis likely for the UFC’s return to The Land Down Under

Israel Adesanya made it clear that he intends on evening the series with Sean Strickland sometime down the line. But first, he’s expected to square off with the “cracker” in a long-awaited title clash later this year.

Following a heated exchange at UFC 290, Adesanya and DDP were on an undeniable collision course until Strickland disrupted those plans with his shocking upset of the ‘Stylebender’ late last year.

Since then, ‘Tarzan’ has surrendered the middleweight strap to Du Plessis, once again putting him on a path that leads directly toward the division’s only two-time titleholder.

When and where that takes place is yet to be determined, but the promotion’s return to Perth, Australia for UFC 305 on August 18 is heavily rumored to host the 185-pound grudge match.

Check out Adesanya’s full appearance on The MMA Hour below:

Israel Adesanya wants to ‘test out’ Khamzat Chimaev if he gets past Robert Whittaker at UFC Saudi Arabia

If Khamzat Chimaev can get past Robert Whittaker this summer, a fight with former two-time middleweight titleholder Israel Adesanya…

If Khamzat Chimaev can get past Robert Whittaker this summer, a fight with former two-time middleweight titleholder Israel Adesanya may be in his future.

On Saturday, June 22, ‘Borz’ will face his first true test at 185 when he meets one of the division’s most respected ex-champions. The Reaper’ is fresh off a big win over Paulo Costa at UFC 298 and is potentially one W away from another crack at the middleweight crown.

Speaking with Ariel Helwani on a recent episode of The MMA Hour, ‘The Last Stylebender’ declared that if Chimaev offers up an impressive showing against Whittaker, He might be enticed to sign on the dotted line for a showdown with the undefeated Chechen monster.

“If Khamzat [Chimaev] beats Rob [Whittaker], I want to test that,” Adesanya said.

Of course, Khamzat Chimaev isn’t the only middleweight on Adesanya’s radar. The New Zealander still intends on settling the score with the man who took his 185-pound strap in September — Sean Strickland.

“I’m gonna get Strickland again,” Adesanya added. “Definitely gonna get him again.“

Above all, Israel Adesanya has some business to handle with Dricus Du Plessis

Before Israel Adesanya handles business with Chimaev and Strickland, he’ll be tasked with taking out South African superstar and reigning middleweight champ, Dricus Du Plessis.

DDP and the ‘Stylebender’ appeared to be on a collision course ever since an uncomfortable staredown following Du Plessis’ win over Robert Whittaker at UFC 290.

However, those plans were dashed when Strickland delivered a dominant performance against Adesanya to win the middleweight title at UFC 293 in September. Since then, Strickland has surrendered the belt to DDP, once again putting the Du Plessis and Adesanya on a path of destruction.

When and where Du Plessis vs. Adesanya goes down is yet to be determined, but with Chimaev vs. Whittaker and now Strickland vs. Costa expected to go down over the next couple of months, things are going to get very interesting at the top of a loaded middleweight division.

Check out Israel Adesanya’s full appearance on The MMA Hour below: