UFC legend exposes Sean Strickland’s ‘character’ amidst controversies
One former UFC fighter has an interesting theory about Sean Strickland's constant involvement in several controversies.
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Sean Strickland often finds himself in controversies (Image via Imago)
Many notable UFC fighters have gained widespread fame from their highly outspoken nature. Former UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland is one of the prominent names that benefitted from just speaking his mind. Due to Sean Strickland’s tendency to engage in controversies, a former UFC light heavyweight champion has proposed an interesting theory about him.
Forrest Griffin appeared on a recent episode of the JAXXON Podcast. During the episode, the UFC legend discussed several intriguing topics related to the promotion. Due to his extensive experience in the UFC, Griffin has become well-acquainted with various fighters and their behaviors. He provided an insightful analysis of Sean Strickland’s nature as an individual on the podcast.
I think what happened is he’s always been a little nuts and then he started letting it slip out. And then what happened? People liked it. He got a positive reaction and he said, ‘Oh, sh*t, people like it when I’m really me’…He quit trying to be whatever and he started being himself. And then he was like, ‘You know what?…Now I gotta be the nth version of myself…I gotta max it’. So now he just does crazier sh*t because he gets a great response for doing crazy sh*t
Forrest Griffin via JAXXON podcast
Sean Strickland is a veteran in the UFC, and over the years, he has involved himself in several controversies. As a result, the American fighter has faced intense scrutiny and backlash from many in the UFC community. This, notably, is one of the reasons Strickland frequently makes headlines. Griffin believes that ‘Tarzan’ seemingly enjoys all the attention that comes from his controversial remarks.
Despite the controversies surrounding him, Strickland has proven to be an exceptional MMA fighter. As such, he even held the UFC middleweight title for a brief moment after defeating Israel Adesanya. In his quest to win the championship again, ‘Tarzan’ clashed against Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 312 a week ago. However, in the aftermath of that fight, Strickland found himself in the hot waters again.
Former rival slams criticisms surrounding Sean Strickland’s UFC 312 fight
The grudge match between Sean Strickland and Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 312 attracted significant attention in the community. The intense animosity between the two UFC middleweight fighters was a prime example of the rivalry. Leading up to the fight, Strickland vowed to brutally dismiss Du Plessis and seek his revenge. However, that did not happen.
Several prominent figures in the UFC community have criticized Strickland, claiming he lacked the hunger and determination to win. As a result, they have openly expressed their disappointment with the American fighter’s performance in that fight. However, Strickland’s former rival, Jared Cannonier, disagrees and has stepped in to defend him.
I thought he went in there and competed for five rounds in a world title match and came up on the short end of the stick with a broken nose. People wanted him to sustain more damage than that. We live in a sadistic world where people want to see other people go through some sort of pain and take pleasure out of that.
Jared Cannonier via UFC Fight Night 251 media-day scrum
Strickland and Cannonier fought each other in December 2022, where the latter emerged victorious. Since then, ‘Tarzan’ has continued to improve his performance in the UFC, while Cannonier has faced some struggles. However, in his recent fight, the ‘Killa Gorilla’ shocked a rising contender last weekend. It will be interesting to see if these fighters face each other again someday.
Related: Jared Cannonier drops hilarious one-liner after securing win as 40-year-old: “Black don’t crack”
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