Athletes
There's Only One Sean Strickland
"Tarzan" Reflects, As Only He Can, On Life As A UFC Champion
Sean Strickland has been answering a lot of questions since he became UFC middleweight champion last September. Now he’s asking one of his own in the lead-up to his first title defense against Dricus Du Plessis this Saturday in Toronto.
“You guys ever been in a fight?” asked Strickland. “You know how easy it is to get knocked out? You bob instead of weave, and you fall down. It’s f**king hard, man. I just go in there and fight and see what happens.”
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The context for the query was Strickland’s fighting philosophy. He doesn’t make wild predictions, speak of his legacy, or call himself invincible. He keeps it simple and boils his day job down to its purest form. It’s a fight, and he’s a fighter. So when he was matched up with Israel Adesanya in the main event of UFC 293 in Sydney, he didn’t perceive it as an impossible mission or an intimidating one.
It was a fight. And then all the California native did for five rounds was shock the world.
“I thought he would be a little bit craftier,” said Strickland of Adesanya. “I thought he have a little bit of a higher Fight IQ and adapt and change and adjust, but he just didn't. I mean, he was a world champion and my hat’s off to him. He's good. But he was playing checkers. I was playing chess.”
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When it was over, Strickland had upset Adesanya, scoring a near-shutout unanimous decision to take the 185-pound belt. Once again, he kept it simple.
“I don't really rely on tricks when I fight, I don't really rely on having a great weapon. I’m just fundamentally correct. My hands are where they need to be. There's no smoke and mirrors with me. It's correct.”
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Just like that, everything changed. Well, that’s not completely accurate. Everything changed in the middleweight division and the MMA world with a new champion crowned. But as far as Strickland was concerned, there was more money in his bank account and more media obligations and pulls on his time, but the mission remained the same.
Stay level.
“You got to be level, because life always kicks you in the teeth,” he said. “And the moment you feel that level of joy and those chemicals are fine in your brain and you're loving life and you're obsessed with something, it gets taken from you. So it’s just another day, it's a paycheck. I don't bring happiness from fighting. I love fighting. It's my job. I like it. But whenever I'm done with this sport, I'm done. I'm not looking back. It's a job.”
That blunt approach has hit a nerve with fight fans. Some love it, some don’t, but when you look at Strickland’s work in the gym and the Octagon, you have to respect it, because not many are as committed to their craft as the 32-year-old.
MMA Coaches Break Down The UFC 297 Strickland vs Du Plessis Main Event
“Just work hard, man,” said Strickland. “Outwork the other guy. It comes easy to me. But you would be so surprised how many people only train when they have fights. The moment I'm done, the moment I get done with a fight, if I could walk, if I don't anything broke and I'm not injured, I'm back in the gym. There are so many people in the UFC that only train when they have fights, and it's mind boggling to me. You’ve just got to work hard.”
Sean Strickland and Dricus Du Plessis get into fight in crowd at UFC 296
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Sean Strickland and Dricus Du Plessis get into fight in crowd at UFC 296
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So any thoughts of Strickland taking his foot off the gas post-title are out the window, which means he’s still firing on all cylinders heading into his Saturday meeting with South Africa’s Du Plessis. That means a lot of hard sparring rounds with his Xtreme Couture squad, more than enough trash talk with his foe, and even a mini-brawl with Du Plessis when both were seated near each other at UFC 296 in December. In other words, business as usual in the world of Strickland, who insists it is all business this weekend.
“It's never personal,” said Strickland, who looks forward to what may be a 25-minute war.
“He f**king brings it, so I'm excited. I'm excited for a five-round death match, so it'll be a good time.”
Some say similar things; few mean it like Strickland, who really loves this. And when it’s all over, he’ll move on. To what? That’s an interesting question.
“I want to make a lot of money, I want to move to a mountain, get a little truck to work on and just die gracefully. I mean, what else do we do in life? We make money and we die. What else do we f**king do?”
Sean Strickland. There’s only one.
UFC 297: Strickland vs Du Plessis took place live from Scotiabank Arena in Toronto on January 20, 2024. See the Final Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC Fight Pass!
