Tag: Sean Strickland

Dricus Du Plessis Eyes Future Title Clash with Alex Pereira Once He Takes Care of Business at Middleweight

Dricus Du PlessisDricus Du Plessis would be happy to step inside the Octagon with light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira after taking…

Dricus Du Plessis

Dricus Du Plessis would be happy to step inside the Octagon with light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira after taking care of a bit of business at middleweight.

Emanating from Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Du Plessis will step into the main event spotlight at UFC 297 determined to cut short the reign of reigning middleweight king Sean Strickland. Hours ahead of their highly anticipated title tilt, Du Plessis and Strickland made an appearance at a pre-fight press event on Thursday. Also in attendance was 205-pound champ Alex Pereira.

With Pereira’s presence looming large at the media scrum, reporters were curious to know if either Strickland or Du Plessis would be interested in challenging ‘Poatan’ should they come out on top on January 20.

Strickland, who already carries a first-round knockout loss to Pereira on his resume, was unusually quiet, but ‘Stillknocks’ happily chimed in.

“100% [I would challenge Pereira],” Du Plessis declared. “100% – after this I have a whole division to take care of before I start thinking of that… Whether it’s him, whether it’s someone else I don’t care. After this division, that’s what I’m after.”

Strickland was quick to retort, “Alex, after I put him away you can put him away next. Don’t worry, we got you Dricus.”

As of this writing, Sean Strickland is listed as a slight favorite to retain his title at UFC 297, sitting at a -115 on DraftKings. Du Plessis is a -105 at the moment with the anticipated line movement expected to make the fight essentially a pick’em by the time they make their walks to the Octagon on Saturday night.

Former UFC Title Challenger Reacts to Sean Strickland’s Latest Anti-LGBTQ Rant: ‘Maybe Don’t Give Him a Platform’

Sean StricklandSean Strickland has once again angered the LGBTQ+ community and its allies. On Saturday, January 20, Strickland is set…

Sean Strickland

Sean Strickland has once again angered the LGBTQ+ community and its allies.

On Saturday, January 20, Strickland is set to defend his 185-pound title for the first time since claiming the crown with a decisive unanimous decision victory over Israel Adesanya last year. Hoping to make Strickland’s first reign a short one is No. 2 ranked contender Dricus Du Plessis.

Ahead of their highly anticipated and all-too-personal clash in the UFC 297 headliner, Sean Strickland has been making the rounds, speaking to members of the press about the impending title tilt and pretty much anything else that pops into his head. During Wednesday’s media scrum in Toronto, one brave reporter decided to question Strickland on his past comments about the gay, lesbian, and transgender communities.

In December 2021, Strickland tweeted, “If I had a gay son I would think I failed as a man to create such weakness.” As the reporter attempted to read back additional posts, Strickland was quick to cut him off and deliver one of his signature diatribes.

“Ten years ago, to be trans was a mental f*cking illness,” Strickland said. “And now, all of a sudden, people like you have f*cking weaseled your way in the world. You are an infection. You are the definition of weakness. Everything that is wrong with the world is because of f*cking you.”

Needless to say, Strickland’s comments didn’t go over well with many fighters and fans, including former UFC title challenger Megan Anderson who offered her take on the middleweight champ’s latest rant.

“I understand from a journalist POV asking these types of qns [questions] and not shying away from thesr topics, etc,” Anderson wrote on X. “However, when you have someone like Sean who is confrontational, at times volatile, and has very polarizing beliefs, maybe don’t give him a platform asking these qns [shrug emoji].”

Over the last year, Strickland has established himself as one of mixed martial arts’ most polarizing figures. Moving forward, he will look to carve out a more substantial legacy for himself as one of the middleweight division’s greatest champions.

That journey begins against a South African knockout artist riding an impressive eight-fight win streak.

UFC 297’s Sean Strickland Slams Colby Covington’s ‘Cringeworthy’ Character in Heated Rant: ‘He’s Just Fraudulent’

Sean Strickland and Colby CovingtonUFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland is not a fan of Colby Covington’s manufactured persona. Last month, Covington kickstarted a…

Sean Strickland and Colby Covington

UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland is not a fan of Colby Covington’s manufactured persona.

Last month, Covington kickstarted a feud with Strickland, saying that he “would love to slap around” the 185-pound titleholder and labeled him a “pathetic excuse of a human being.”

We’ll just tip-toe around the irony in that statement.

Strickland and Covington are similar in that they are both proud Americans, staunch conservatives, and love to exercise their right to free speech. However, there is one glaring difference that seems to separate them. That being the fact that Covington’s MAGA-loving character is exactly that — a character — while Strickland prides himself on being 100 percent authentic, for better or for worse.

“Yeah, unlike Colby Covington, the fraudulent man himself,” Strickland told ESPN. “He’s just fraudulent. I think to be a UFC fighter, it is a sense of entertainment, WWE. But you want to base your character on authenticity and then you have somebody like Colby, who is a fictional persona that he’s created when he’s not trying to fall on Trump’s d*ck.”

“It is the most cringeworthy sh*t,” Strickland continued. “It’s so f*cked that Trump left the arena while he was giving his speech. It’s like watching the ugly girl get rejected at a party. You feel bad for the guy at this point. Don’t worry, Colby, he knows your name” (h/t MMA Mania).

Strickland is set to defend his middleweight title for the first time since claiming the crown with a dominant showing against two-time titleholder Israel Adesanya in September. ‘Tarzan’ will square off with No. 2 ranked contender Dricus Du Plessis in Saturday’s UFC 297 headliner at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto.

Watch the full interview below:

Sean Strickland Willing to Make a Quick Turnaround for Israel Adesanya Rematch at UFC 300 if the Price Is Right

Sean Strickland and Israel AdesanyaSean Strickland has opened the door for a potential rematch with Israel Adesanya at UFC 300. After scoring a…

Sean Strickland and Israel Adesanya

Sean Strickland has opened the door for a potential rematch with Israel Adesanya at UFC 300.

After scoring a stunning upset against ‘The Last Stylebender’ to claim the middleweight world championship in September, Strickland will return to the Octagon on Saturday night (January 20) to defend his title for the first time against No. 2 ranked contender Dricus Du Plessis. The two strikers will headline the promotion’s return to Toronto where fight fans will also witness the coronation of a new bantamweight queen.

The UFC’s return to The Great White North comes three months ahead of one of the most anticipated events in the promotion’s 30+ year history.

Dana White has already stacked UFC 300 with a plethora of can’t-miss clashes, including a recently-announced BMF bout between Justin Gaethje and former featherweight champ Max Holloway. However, the event is shockingly light on title tilts with only Zhang Weili scheduled to defend her strawweight strap against fellow Chinese star Yan Xianon thus far.

Leon Edwards is rumored to defend his welterweight title against Belal Muhammad at the event, but the prospect of that fight isn’t exactly setting the MMA world on fire.

It is possible that the UFC could slap together a middleweight title showcase for UFC 300, depending on who comes out on top in ‘Hogtown’ and the damage sustained. Asked about making the relatively quick turnaround for a rematch with Adesanya at the massive milestone event, Sean Strickland indicated that he’s certainly open to the idea, so long as the UFC comes correct with an offer.

“As with all things, how much money you paying me? As of now, no,” Strickland told members of the press on Wednesday. “But how much money you paying me?”

Following his loss to Sean Strickland at UFC 293, Israel Adesanya indicated that he would take a lengthy break away from the fight game, but the ‘Stylebender’ has seemingly nixed those plans, suggesting a return to the cage is closer than we think.

“Me right now, I’m taking my time,” Adesanya said during an interview with iFL TV in December. “My last few fights, I had four fights in 14 months as a champion in the UFC. That’s unheard of. I was the most active champion, not fighter, champion in the league. So life has forced me to take some time off and I will, but you will see me soon.”

Are you interested in seeing Adesanya and Strickland run it back as part of the biggest event in UFC history?

Sean Strickland Goes Off On Ian Garry Ahead of UFC 297, Accuses ‘The Future’ of ‘Hiding Who He Is’

Sean Strickland and Ian GarryIt’s safe to say the rivalry between Sean Strickland and Ian Garry isn’t going away anytime soon. On Saturday…

Sean Strickland and Ian Garry

It’s safe to say the rivalry between Sean Strickland and Ian Garry isn’t going away anytime soon.

On Saturday night (January 20), Strickland is scheduled to defend his middleweight world title for the very first time as he meets South African knockout artist Dricus Du Plessis in the UFC 297 headliner. Hours ahead of their highly anticipated clash, Strickland was speaking with members of the media when Ian Garry’s name unsurprisingly came up.

Strickland and Garry have been jawing at one another since late last year when the 185-pound king targeted the welterweight contender’s unconventional relationship with his wife and TV personality Layla Anna-Lee. Strickland’s biggest issue was the fact that Anna-Lee, who is 14 years older than Garry, wrote a guidebook for older women looking to date young athletes and celebrities. Garry and his wife later came out explaining that the 11-page publication, entitled How to Be a WAG, was meant to be satirical, but that didn’t stop Strickland from levying accusations and dubbing Anna-Lee a “succubus” and a “predator.”

Since then, Garry has made it clear that he plans to move up to middleweight and settle things with Strickland inside the Octagon.

Asked about Garry’s intentions during Wednesday’s press conference, Strickland delivered another profanity-laced rant that targeted ‘The Future’ and his marriage.

“The cuck? Does he really want to fight me,” Strickland asked before getting clarification from a member of the media. Ian Garry is such a f*cking c*nt. When you guys interview him, do you ever ask him, ‘Hey, what are you going to do when she’s 60 and you’re 40? Are you allowed to f*ck other women?’ God, I hate the f*cking guy so f*cking much.

“If Ian Garry was right in front of me, I’d f*cking fight him. Ian Garry is a piece of sh*t. I think we can all agree that Ian Garry is a piece of sh*t.”

Ian Garry was expected to make his return to the Octagon last month at UFC 296 against Vicente Luque, but the Irishman was forced to withdraw after coming down with a case of pneumonia days ahead of fight night. He has since been booked for a clash with Geoff Neal at UFC 298 on February 17.

Fighters and fans immediately accused Garry of weaseling his way off the card to avoid the barrage of insults waiting at the event’s pre-fight festivities.

“Ian Garry is a f*cking weak man and that’s what I try to tell people,” Strickland continued. “You meet these c*nts all day long and they smile and they shake your hand, but really their core is f*cking rotten. You look at me, I’m an a**hole. I say hard sh*t. I’m just saying what you’re thinking. Ian Garry is a c*nt and he hides who he is.”

Sean Strickland rips Canadian MMA reporter in vicious tirade ahead of UFC 297 title fight: ‘You are the enemy’

Sean Strickland rips Canadian MMA reporter in vicious tirade ahead of UFC 297 you're the enemyAhead of his incoming title fight at UFC 297 this weekend in Canada, undisputed middleweight champion, Sean Strickland hit…

Sean Strickland rips Canadian MMA reporter in vicious tirade ahead of UFC 297 you're the enemy

Ahead of his incoming title fight at UFC 297 this weekend in Canada, undisputed middleweight champion, Sean Strickland hit out at mixed martial arts reporter, Alexander K. Lee of MMA Fighting – in a foul-mouthed tirade in response to questions of his opinion on the LGBTQ+ community.

Strickland, the current undisputed middleweight champion, is slated to make his return to the Octagon at UFC 297 this weekend in Canada, taking on promotional-perfect contender, Dricus du Plessis in the first attempted defense of his divisional crown.

Sean Strickland unleashes on Canadian reporter ahead of UFC 297

And appearing at today’s media obligations ahead of UFC 297, Strickland was questioned about prior inflammatory comments on the gay and transgender communities, leading to a verbal attack on the aforenoted, Lee.

“The world is not buying the bullsh*t you’re f*cking pedalling,” Sean Strickland shouted at Alexander K. Lee and the assembled media. “The world is not saying, ‘You know what? You’re right. Chicks have d*cks.’ The world is not saying that. The world is saying, ‘No, there are two genders. I don’t want my kids being taught about who they can f*ck in school. I don’t want my kids being taught about their sexual preference.” 

“This guy is the f*cking enemy,” Sean Strickland continued. “You want to look at the f*cking enemy to our world, it’s that motherf*cker right there.” 

Winning undisputed middleweight gold at UFC 293 back in September, Strickland turned in a shocking upset victory over former two-time champion, Israel Adesanya, landing a shutout unanimous decision win over the City Kickboxing staple.

Meeting du Plessis this weekend in ‘The Great White North’, Strickland engaged in a rather surprising embrace with the South African on Monday of this week, with the two wishing each other the best of luck, and sharing some insight to a series of direct messages shared between the two – amid a high-profile rivalry.

Who wins at UFC 297 this weekend: Sean Strickland or Dricus du Plessis?