Decline in masterful trash-talk? Robert Whittaker goes off on Sean Strickland’s rants

Robert Whittaker lays into UFC peer Sean Strickland and his trash talk after call to arms from Aussie media and subpar title performance.

Decline in masterful trash-talk? Robert Whittaker goes off on Sean Strickland’s rants

Robert Whittaker subtly slams Sean Strickland for subpar performance but supreme trash talk (Source: X/IMAGO)

Robert Whittaker has long said a barnburner with fellow former UFC 185-pound champ Sean Strickland always made sense. Whittaker is saying it yet again; it’d be a good opportunity to pawn off on each other. A few steps removed from a title shot, they can ride the pecking order with a win against a big name. However, “Reaper” just knows he’d face a decline in the quality of banter if he was ever paired up against Strickland.

Other than a few ultra-rare MMA happenings of “Tarzan” complimenting, he’s usually pretty brazen. Strickland’s anti-LGBTQ+ far-right sentiments often clash with WMMA UFC standouts. His global warfare rhetoric is not something “Here’s the thing, guys” all-Americano Strickland can be proud of either.

Strickland’s thoughts on sparring mates like Kayla Harrison or recent title challenger Tatiana Suarez and her alleged ‘autism magic‘ went viral too. Whittaker can’t help but notice a degradation in cross banter and disses from the habitual Tarzan.

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Ah. Uh, you know,… I don’t know. I don’t know…It’s like, what’s thinking of? Um. I feel like trash talk has lost its. Its skill, its finesse. You know what I mean? I feel like there used to be more skill involved. There used to be more thought involved. There used to be more finesse involved — Whereas now he’s kind of just saying anything that comes to mind. It’s crude. It doesn’t pair well with everything else that he’s saying.

Robert Whittaker to Denis Shkuratov for the ‘Submission Radio’ Show for SBNation Network
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Whittaker doesn’t mind Strickland and his holistic anger; that’s because he hasn’t sat against him in a presser. Atypical ‘Sean Strickland’ pressers have everyone on guard. The Fight Inc: Inside the UFC docuseries showed that after UFC 293 PPV media day, the UFC brass and litigation had to hold meetings on how derogatory and vocal Strickland was!

Strickland recently came under a lot of fire for his unanimous decision loss and for lacking a sense of urgency. However, it’s a whole other Strickland who shows up to pressers, promising war and going over bounds. Whittaker thinks it lacks the finesse of prime one-liners, and it does not suit Strickland’s current output. But there’s no denying that a matchup between these two middleweights would be quite a thing.

Robert Whittaker vs. Sean Strickland possible?

Robert Whittaker has lost to both Israel Adesanya and Dricus Du Plessis, the names Strickland met and started his title reign from. Hence, he wasn’t opting to give the Team Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Smeaton Grange fighter any legroom. That was when a fired-up Sean Strickland thought Canadian leftists had robbed him and he’d win back the middleweight gold.

Robert Whittaker vs. Sean Strickland in a UFC middleweight bout might be a thing
Robert Whittaker vs. Sean Strickland in a UFC middleweight bout might be a thing (Source: X)

Now, though, it’s very different. Strickland broke his nose against Du Plessis at the UFC 312 PPV headliner at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney. 0-2 against him in title scraps, “Tarzan” is quite removed from the picture. Now, a fight against Whittaker, 34, makes all the sense in the world to get back into the fold.

Even the champ himself has upvoted such an idea for a middleweight matchup. Meanwhile, “Reaper” likes the idea that both their names cross each other in a matchup scenario.

I think Strickland makes a good argument to have because – I feel like we’ve both been in that top sort of pond for a while, circling each other, …I feel like for whatever reason we haven’t been matched up. But we’ve both been in proximity for a while, and it’s most likely the fight to make. I’m excited by that fight. I look at his style and I find it curious.

Robert Whittaker on “On Paper with Anthony Smith” Podcast
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Whittaker himself recently underwent dental surgery. Khamzat Chimaev blew him out via submission at the UFC 308 PPV affair. It bolstered Chimaev as the top seed for the UFC 185-pound strap yet again. If possible, he’d opt for a summer return against Strickland. He is a modest 2-1 in his last few; Strickland, though, is 1-2, with both losses being title blowouts. If any of them get to cross off such a big name, it’d make a good case for the top contender spot at 185 again.

Related: Sean Strickland mocking Khabib Nurmagomedov’s religious beliefs annoys fans: “How is this funny?”