A fighter millions of UFC fans adore due to his comical value and frankness on a range of subjects, coupled with his all-action fighting style, Sean Strickland’s momentum at the top of the middleweight tree took a massive hit after his somewhat controversial loss to Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 297. A devastating split-decision defeat in his first title defence, Strickland will undoubtedly take a short break away from the sport as he prepares for his next bout.
The fight with Du Plessis would certainly have taken a lot out of Strickland. The South African is a formidable opponent who handled Strickland pushing the pace throughout the contest, coming out on top in a back-and-forth feast that provided plenty of entertainment for fans. In fact, the fight is arguably the best battle we’ve seen in 2024 so far, with both fighters contributing to a brutal slugfest that MMA connoisseurs enjoyed.
Of course, Strickland’s diehard fans who enjoy his hilarious takes on podcasts and his usually fiery press conferences would’ve been shocked to see their man lose, particularly as many would’ve backed him in the betting stakes and shared their respective theories on why the former champion would have too much for Du Plessis. Strickland failed to deliver, though, and after just four months after it began, his period of dominance has already come to an end.
Sean Strickland isn’t happy
Some fighters throw their toys out of the pram after what is widely considered to be a controversial loss. Sean Strickland usually takes defeat in his stride, but he isn’t happy on this occasion. The likable American clearly doesn’t have a great deal of respect for Du Plessis, which evidently stems from the pre-fight build-up that contained an array of controversial exchanges between the two.
On the defeat, Strickland said: “I didn’t take the cowards way out and tell the doctor I couldn’t see and got a no contest. The only reason why you took a round from me is because I couldn’t see. I won that fight, the world knows I won that fight. The belt they gave you will never make you a champion. Enjoy. They had to stitch through muscle to get it closed.”
Strickland’s eye will certainly need time to heal before his next contest, but the mixed martial artist will clearly be referencing Du Plessis’ apparent headbutt for a while longer yet. Still, while Sean Strickland is coming to terms with a damaging defeat, there are some fascinating fights out there that will surely pique his interest when he is ready to return to the Octagon.
Whittaker or Costa up next for Strickland?
An event “Tarzan” will surely be paying close attention to, former division kingpin, Robert Whittaker, and ex-title contender, Paulo Costa, clash next month at UFC 298. Both fighters are capable of winning this one and setting up a mouth-watering collision with the defeated Strickland in the process. While we’ve had no indication yet as to whether or not this potential match-up could be on the cards, it’s an exciting prospect for many UFC fans, particularly as either fighter is a fresh matchup for Strickland.
Should Dana White not fancy putting Sean Strickland up against one of Whittaker or Costa, though, then a rematch with Du Plessis might be too big to ignore at some point in the future. The controversy surrounding the fight and the bad blood between both fighters could result in an even bigger contest next time around.
Additionally, given the nature of the defeat, it’s a brawl that Strickland would surely entertain once again, although, as Du Plessis has already shown, he’s more than capable of reigning supreme once again, particularly as he’s the first South African to win a UFC world title. He now has a lot to lose, although a title defense against former middleweight king Israel Adesanya is also a real possibility for Du Plessis.
Sean Strickland is capable of coming back stronger
While the loss to Dricus Du Plessis has clearly hit Sean Strickland hard, he’s a fighting man with an evident passion for the sport. As such, it’s only a matter of time before Strickland’s back in the gym preparing for his next big fight. Whether or not he’ll look to fine-tune his approach in the Octagon remains to be seen, although Strickland’s natural fighting ability means that he’s always a fearsome opponent to face.
As he aims to resurrect his career and learn from a few notable mistakes that were on show at UFC 297, Sean Strickland is still an incredibly dangerous fighter who is capable of seeing off anyone in the division on his day. Whether it’s in a rematch against Du Plessis, a fight with the winner of Robert Whittaker and Paulo Costa, or even in a contest against Khamzat Chimaev, Sean Strickland is more than capable of coming back stronger.