Sean Strickland is one of the most polarizing figures in the UFC. Now, he is doubling down on his quest for a title shot in the aftermath of his UFC 302 split decision win over Paulo Costa. Strickland won’t accept another fight until the UFC grants him a middleweight title shot.
The outspoken “Tarzan” took to social media to reiterate his steadfast stance. He remained adamant that he was deserving of the title shot after this win. This fight was his first after he lost the title to Dricus Du Plessis earlier this year.
Time to sit and wait for a title shot……….
Sean Strickland via X
Strickland had recently announced that he was willing to wait for the title shot and was not interested in any other fight. The former champion still believes that he won the fight against Dricus Du Plessis. The split decision loss for Strickland was a controversial one. Many people, including UFC CEO, Dana White and Joe Rogan, felt that he had won.
Time to sit and wait for a title shot……….
— Sean Strickland (@SStricklandMMA) June 3, 2024
Dricus Du Plessis’ next fight would potentially be against Israel Adeasnya if rumors are to be believed. There is no official confirmation as of yet. The middleweight division has many top contenders at this time. This includes former champion, Robert Whittaker who is coming off a win over Paulo Cotsa. Khamzat Chimaev is another big name in the division. He is set to fight against Robert Whittaker in the Saudi Arabia debut card. The winner of this bout could potentially be next in line for the title.
Sean Strickland blames Paulo Costa for lackluster UFC 302 performance
Sean Strickland had a not-so-exciting fight against Paulo Costa at UFC 302. He pulled no punches in his assessment of the lackluster UFC 302 co-main event. According to the always candid “Tarzan,” the blame lies squarely on his Brazilian opponent’s shoulders.
Sean Strickland blames Paulo Costa for lackluster performance (via Bleacher Report)Strickland revealed that he was expecting a slugfest with Costa based on his earlier performances. However, he was disappointed in how the fight went the full five rounds. He believed that Costa was to blame for lacking explosiveness in the fight.
It was awkward, man. It was like a weird fight. There was a moment where I stopped being in my fight stance and I just started walking forward like, ‘What the f*ck are we doing here?’… I don’t know what was going on with Costa. I think Costa maybe just wanted to be friends. I don’t know.
Sean Strickland via the post-fight press conference
Strickland bounced back from his title fight loss earlier this year by outpointing Costa. The scorecards were another bizarre thing in this fight. Strickland’s assessment is a damning criticism that would sting most fighters. He did raise some fair critiques of Costa’s baffling performance. The powerful puncher squandered multiple opportunities to put Strickland in danger by not brawling at close quarters.
