The previous weekend witnessed a pulsating encounter where Sean Strickland suffered a unanimous decision loss to his adversary, Dricus du Plessis at UFC 312. This rematch saw Du Plessis commanding the ring for every round, showcasing a stellar performance throughout. Strickland, as a consequence of this defeat, is now on the receiving end of disapproval from Luke Rockhold, who did not hesitate to ridicule Strickland’s performance in the fight.
Luke Rockhold and Sean Strickland share an intriguing background, having encountered each other at the RVCA gym in their early years. The UFC 312 rematch was a nightmare for ‘Tarzan’ Strickland, he was unable to mirror his prior victories against ‘Stillknocks’ du Plessis. The match took a turn for the worse for Strickland when he suffered a broken nose in the round four, making it even harder for him.
Rockhold took no efforts to cushion his words, openly stating that Strickland withdrew after the injury rather than persevering in this all-important title fight. Rockhold criticized Strickland for being all talk, but lacking the action to match. He taunted Strickland for being unable to uphold the challenging talks he had promised.
Moreover, in Rockhold’s viewpoint, Strickland’s decision to prioritize his injured nose over the continuation of the fight spoke volumes about his true character. Rockhold stood strong on the principle that it’s in the boxing ring where the mettle of a fighter is put to the test. He insinuated that Strickland fell short of these expectations.
The rematch between Sean Strickland and Dricus Du Plessis showcased intense rounds but failed to enthral Khamzat Chimaev. Du Plessis had the upper hand throughout the fight, going as far as breaking Strickland’s nose and consequently securing his victory via unanimous decision, successfully defending his middleweight title.
Despite the rigorous five-round competition, Chimaev was unimpressed by the performances of both the fighters in the octagon. According to him, the bout lost its spark of excitement until Strickland’s unfortunate injury occurred. UFC president, Dana White, confirmed Chimaev as the upcoming challenger for the prestigious middleweight championship belt.
With this announcement, ‘Borz’ Chimaev has already initiated a war of words with Strickland online. This has piqued the interest of the fans, who are now looking forward to seeing Chimaev return to the octagon to take his shot at the middleweight title. The anticipation for this showdown has reached an all-time high following Strickland’s recent loss.