(Exclusive) Sean Strickland’s gory ‘nose fix’ deserves more praise according to UFC debutant Nick Klein
Sean Strickland suffered a broken nose at UFC 313, but did not quit, leaving debutant Nick Klein impressed.
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Nick Klein praises Sean Strickland for not giving up despite having a broken nose (Image via Daily Mail)
Middleweight division saw the toughness of Sean Strickland at UFC 312. Despite having to fix his nose in the middle of the fight, Strickland did not get finished by the dangerous Dricus Du Plessis. Though fans and other fighters have criticized ‘Tarzan’, UFC debutant Nick Klein doesn’t see it that way. He said as much to Garrett Kerman in an Exclusive interview with FirstSportz.
The 6-1 MMA fighter competing in the middleweight division came to the defense of Sean Strickland. Dricus Du Plessis has not lost against anyone in the UFC. He has dominant victories over Israel Adesanya, Robert Whittaker, and Strickland. As such, losing to someone like DDP is not a demerit. Nick Klein also felt the criticism toward Strickland doesn’t make sense as fighting with a broken nose is a difficult ask.
I think he’s (Du Plessis) got a rock solid mindset and heart in the cage. And I think that makes up for, you know, any holes in his style. Sean showed up to do Sean, dude. Like, he was in there the full 25 minutes. He fought every round got his nose broke and snapped it back in place without even f**king turning.
Nick Klein told Garrett Kerman in an Exclusive FirstSportz interview
Sean Strickland promised a war, but never pushed the action inside the octagon. His defensive approach to fighting did not save him as DDP showcased a much more technical version of himself at UFC 312. The head kicks, hooks and volume helped the champion prevail over the conservative approach of Strickland. Nevertheless, he deserves praise for fighting through a broken nose like Klein suggested.
Looking ahead at the middleweight division, Klein sees a potential shake-up. He believes that if Du Plessis defeats Khamzat Chimaev, he could hold the belt for a while, and the same goes for Chimaev if he emerges victorious. He also mentioned Nassourdine Imavov as a potential future title contender. In the mean time, the new UFC star hopes to climb the middleweight rankings.
Nick Klein predicts ‘tough battle’ in Seattle
Despite having only entered the UFC, Nick Klein remains focused on the challenges ahead. As a company man, he took a fight on less than four weeks notice to compete at UFC Seattle. The UFC star will face the undefeated Mansur Abdul-Malik on the prelims of the fight night in Seattle.
Klein comes into the bout after swiftly destroying Heraldo Souza via Rear-Naked choke in less than 40 seconds on Dana White’s Contender Series last year. He knows the danger posed by Abdul-Malik. Klein issued praise for his opponent, but gave a prediction for their upcoming fight.
I know he’s a heavy puncher. I’m sure he’s going to be a heavy favorite going into the fight. So this guy shows up to fight, and he shows up to finish. He’s 7-0 with all finishes, all by way of knockout or TKO. And I’m not taking that lightly at all. I’m imagining a tough fight, and that’s all I can say… Maybe I’m another scalp on his belt or whatever. Maybe I give him his first loss. I guess we’ll see
Nick Klein told Garrett Kerman in an Exclusive FirstSportz interview
Klein’s focused approach, combined with his insider knowledge of his opponent, makes him an intriguing prospect in the middleweight division. Fight fans will be eagerly watching to see if he can deliver on his promise to give Abdul-Malik “a good fight” and potentially derail his undefeated streak.
Related: UFC Top 5 ‘Knockouts of the Year’ 2024
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