Sean Strickland has often been criticized for promising war but winning fights by decision.
Strickland (29-6 MMA, 16-6 UFC) challenges middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis (22-2 MMA, 8-0 UFC) in a title-fight rematch, which headlines Saturday’s event at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPN2, ESPN+).
Strickland dared Du Plessis for a striking-only battle and always promotes violent intentions for his fights. Du Plessis doesn’t think Strickland’s words match his fighting style, but the Xtreme Couture fighter explained why his fights often end up panning out as technical battles.
“The difference is when you’re fighting world-class fighters, like we had Johnny Eblen out of Bellator here. You watch me and Johnny fight, it’s a f*cking chess match,” Strickland told ESPN. “World-class level striking meets world-class level striking.
“You’ll watch the pinnacle of any sport, and you’re like why is it different? Because I’m fighting the very best. So, you bring in anybody who’s not a top world champion, it’s easy. But you bring in an elite-level striker who’s been training their entire life for this moment, and it’s a chess match.”
Strickland was ripped by Du Plessis for having numerous close decisions on his resume – including their title fight at UFC 297. Strickland acknowledges that the judges may struggle to score his fights but said the visual gives a different story.
“Four-ounce gloves, with a cage, it’s harder to see,” Strickland said. “But there’s a reason why every time I lose a f*cking decision the guy’s face looks like he’s been hit by a truck, and I might have a black eye or a scratch.”
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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 312.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Before UFC 312, Sean Strickland explains why gym wars don’t always translate to fight night
