Tag: theo von

Sean Strickland is overcome with emotion while reflecting on his childhood: ‘I stopped believing in god’

Sean StricklandJust because Sean Strickland rocks, it doesn’t mean he’s made of stone. If toxic masculinity had a face, it…

Sean Strickland

Just because Sean Strickland rocks, it doesn’t mean he’s made of stone.

If toxic masculinity had a face, it would be Sean Strickland’s. But underneath that incredibly tough exterior is a flesh-and-blood human being attempting to navigate life after overcoming an overwhelming amount of trauma. And whether you love him or hate him, you have to appreciate how open the reigning middleweight world champion has been with fans regarding his rocky upbringing and the strained relationship with his father.

Unfortunately, putting all of that information out there makes it that much easier for someone to weaponize it. That’s exactly what happened at the UFC Seasonal Press Conference last month in Las Vegas. Going face-to-face with his first title challenger, Dricus Du Plessis, ‘Stillknocks’ decided to deliver a low blow by making an ill-advised crack about Strickland’s childhood struggles.

The comment kicked off a fiery exchange between the two which turned physical 24 hours later when they were seated near one another during UFC 296.

Sean Strickland lets his guard down

Sean Strickland has since revealed that during an appearance on Theo Von’s This Past Weekend podcast shortly after the incident, he was overwhelmed with emotion while reflecting on a moment from his childhood.

The episode was officially released on January 1, 2024.

“In second grade, I kept falling asleep at my desk and my teacher took my desk away from me,” Strickland said. “She made me stand up and so, me, I’m like, ‘F*ck you’ and being this little kid, I just went and fell asleep on the ground. Mind you like, the school system’s like, ‘Oh, Sean, he’s just a bad kid.’ They don’t realize I’m up until three o’clock in the morning.

“I remember laying in bed, I remember when I stopped believing in god, man,” he continued. “Like, f*ck. I have f*cking … it’s crazy sh*t, dude. Crazy sh*t, man (laughs)” (h/t MMA Mania).

Von began to tell his own story after Strickland was done speaking but he was quick to apologize as the champ was noticeably “just processing,” as he’s heard saying.

“I think that’s one of the hard things people don’t understand about trauma, you know?” Strickland added.

Sean Strickland is coming off his best year yet in combat sports, earning three straight wins, none bigger than his lopsided unanimous decision victory over Israel Adesanya in September to claim the 185-pound crown. He’ll put that title on the line for the first time on January 20 when he headlines UFC 297 in Toronto against No. 2 ranked contender Dricus Du Plessis.

‘Stillknocks’ goes into the bout riding an eight-fight win streak dating back to 2019.

Sean Strickland Reveals Theo Von offered to delete the footage of his emotional podcast appearance

Sean StricklandSean Strickland has been on quite the rollercoaster over the last several days. The reigning UFC middleweight made headlines…

Sean Strickland

Sean Strickland has been on quite the rollercoaster over the last several days.

The reigning UFC middleweight made headlines over the weekend when he got into a full-blown fistfight with No. 2 ranked contender Dricus Du Plessis at the promotion’s final pay-per-view of the year. The chaotic scene felt particularly on-brand for Sean Strickland, a fighter known to say and do pretty much anything he wants no matter the consequence.

However, Strickland’s motivation for the attack came as a surprise to everyone.

24 hours before their scuffle inside T-Mobile Arena, Strickland and Du Plessis engaged in a heated verbal confrontation at the UFC Seasonal Press Conference. It was there that ‘Stillknocks’ made an unsavory crack about Strickland’s history of growing up with an abusive father. Strickland lambasted Du Plessis on social media, showing that there are lines that even he won’t cross.

In the days since, Sean Strickland revealed that he had recently appeared on an episode of Theo Von’s popular podcast, This Past Weekend where the two had an incredibly emotional conversation about the champ’s childhood trauma.

Sean Strickland offers preview of his emotional podcast appearance

The episode is yet to be released, but Strickland shared a screenshot from his appearance and revealed that Von had offered to delete the footage after they delved into the very serious subject matter.

“PTSD can make a strong man weak or a weak man strong,” Strickland wrote on X. “Years and years of abuse just changes you as a man.. The hate just doesn’t go away. The sad truth is I’m one of millions but I only matter because there is a camera in my face… Most people just suffer in silence and drown their demons in alcohol or drugs.

“Theo thanks for saying you’d delete the video for me.. I wanted you to, hell still kinda do but at the end of the day.. it’s life….

Sean Strickland has quickly become one of the most polarizing figures in all of combat sports, known best for his often hilarious, yet sometimes vile hot takes on a variety of topics. In September, ‘Tarzan’ earned the respect of fight fans following his picture-perfect performance against Israel Adesanya to claim the middleweight title.

He will put his strap on the line for the first time at UFC 297 when the promotion returns to Toronto, Canada. Meeting him in the middle of the cage will be South African knockout artist and the man he threw hands with on Saturday (December 16), Dricus Du Plessis.

UFC 291: Comedian Theo Von spotted chatting up ring card girls: ‘Theo with the iconic rizz’

ufc 291Comedian Theo Von was enjoying everything that UFC 291 had to offer this past weekend.  The UFC has quickly began to attract some of the biggest celebrities in the world to their events. The very biggest shows can entice a long list of A-listers’, such as Donald Trump, Justin Bieber and Shaquille O’Neal  This past […]

ufc 291

Comedian Theo Von was enjoying everything that UFC 291 had to offer this past weekend. 

The UFC has quickly began to attract some of the biggest celebrities in the world to their events. The very biggest shows can entice a long list of A-listers’, such as Donald Trump, Justin Bieber and Shaquille O’Neal 

This past Saturday was was no different as the big screen would cut to several members of the Utah Jazz, Johnny Knoxville and comedians David Spade and Theo Von. 

Von has had many fighters on his podcast and has attended several events before. The 43-year-old is also friends with one half of UFC 291’s main event, Dustin Poirier, and has sat cage side for some of his fellow Louisianian’s past fights. Clips circulated following the event of Von talking with the UFC’s ring card girls.

Theo Von at UFC 291

UFC 291 recap

Saturdays pay-per-view certainly delivered on entertainment value, with only two fights on the entire card going to decision. On the prelims, Roman Kopylov foreshadowed the nights finale as he landed a brutal head kick that would knockout his opponent, Claudio Ribeiro. 

Kicking off the main event, Kevin Holland made quick work of the experienced, a higher ranked, Michael Chiesa  – catching his counterpart in adarce choke. In a somewhat depressing time, Bobby Green submitted fan favorite, and unfortunately over the hill, Tony Ferguson. 

It was then Derrick Lewis’ turn to add to his highlight reel, landing a flying knee in the opening seconds before following it up with heavy ground and pound – ultimately securing a KO win in just over 30 seconds.

In the co-main, Alex Pereira overcame early trouble in the grappling department to win a hard fought decision with over Jan Blachowicz in his light-heavyweight debut. 

The main event saw Poirier and Gaethje square off in a rematch five years in the making. After a competitive first round, Gaethje would land a critical head kick in just a minute into the second round that saw him knock Poirier out cold. 

What was your favourite moment at UFC 291?