Sean Strickland has choices regardless of his loss to Dricus du Plessis earlier this 12 months, however now he hopes now-former welterweight champion Belal Muhammad follows via along with his previous challenges.
Muhammad has fired pictures at Strickland for the previous 12 months, and even known as the previous middleweight champ a “coward” following Strickland’s UFC 312 loss to du Plessis. When requested what he desires subsequent, Strickland was reminded of Muhammad’s trash discuss, particularly now that Muhammad is now not champ after shedding to Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 315.
“Belal could be a enjoyable combat, that’d be a enjoyable one,” Strickland informed Helen Yee. “Belal, it’s best to f*cking sack up, canine. That is it. You possibly can lastly sack the f*ck up, dude. All that shit you talked, man, we are able to lastly make it occur. Misplaced your belt, you form of acquired f*cked up, I acquired f*cked up. We must always make that combat occur, Belal. That’d be one, proper?
“Nicely, you’re going to middleweight. I’m [230 pounds], I ain’t taking place to welterweight. I’m not doing that reduce anymore. That’d be one. … He stated he would [come up to fight me]. All that shit he talks on the Instagram, he’s like, ‘Hey, I’m going to return combat you, I’m going to return do that, I’m going to return do this. Now you possibly can, you f*cking p*ssy. Do it for Palestine.”
Strickland has misplaced two of three — each to du Plessis — after gorgeous Israel Adesanya to win his first UFC championship at UFC 293 in September 2023. The 34-year-old is able to get again within the octagon, and says he had his eye on a combat with Reinier de Riddder following his stoppage win over Bo Nickal at UFC Des Moines.
Sadly for Strickland, de Ridder was booked in opposition to Robert Whittaker in the primary occasion of UFC Abu Dhabi in July. Strickland additionally stated he was provided a combat in opposition to a top-ranked middleweight, however finally turned it down, as did the opponent, in keeping with Strickland.
“I needed to combat that RDR child, however Mick [Maynard] needed me to combat Caio [Borralho],” Strickland stated. “Such an amazing man. I stated no. Nicely, we form of each stated no. It’s a kind of bizarre issues the place it’s like I do know him. I do know his spouse, I do know his household.
“Like, at a press convention, ‘Hey Caio, how’s your child doing? What, he’s turning two?’ It’s simply awkward as a result of I do know [him and] his household. It’s not enjoyable. …
“However that RDR… that might be an amazing one. You’re a jiu-jitsu [guy], you beat up Bo Nickal, who’s a f*cking p*ssy. That’d be an amazing combat.”
