Sean Strickland is one of the most amusing characters in the entire UFC. And he has more than lived up to that mantel with his post-fight analysis of his victory against Jack Hermansson.
The controversial martial artist dismantled his Swedish opponent en route to a decision victory at UFC Vegas 47 on February 5. Strickland dominated the exchanges, utilising his ramrod jab to keep his opponent at bay. And he even dropped the Swede with a blistering counter right hand in the second round.
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His flawless performance led to controversy when Bruce Buffer announced the split decision verdict. Although two judges awarded Strickland with the win, fans are furious with Sal D’Amato, who scored the contest 48-47 in favour of Hermansson. Some even took to Twitter to claim that the esteemed judge deserves sacking for his card.
One MMA enthusiast wrote: “So does Sal D’Amato have to report to anyone on why he scored it for Jack? I would be very interested to hear his reasoning for giving him that score on the cards. Judge accountability should be a thing.”
Strickland wants the gold
Sean Strickland is currently riding a six-fight win streak, with his last loss coming against Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos in 2018. His most recent performance has left him in the perfect position to challenge the winner of Israel Adesanya vs Robert Whittaker.
He rightly called for his shot at the belt in his post-fight interview.
The American is known in the MMA community as one of the most entertaining characters in the sport. He’s made some odd comments regarding his pre-fight regiment, and regularly delights fans with his in-cage antics. But in the aftermath of his victory, Strickland showed his more human side as he apologised to the fans in attendance.
The 30-year-old said: “‘I’m sorry, guys. I was being a pansy. I should have stayed in the pocket and thrown. Maybe I let the pressure get to me. I was fighting like a b*tch and let the win bonus get the better of me. I should have stayed in the pocket and thrown more.
He then hilariously admitted: “Without you guys, I would probably be a piece of sh*t somewhere. Now I’m a piece of sh*t with money. Let’s go.”
Irrespective of his masculine bravado, there’s clearly more to UFC star Sean Strickland. The cult hero’s supporters would adore seeing the belt wrapped around his waist. But Adesanya and Whittaker are levels above anybody he’s ever beaten before. Therefore, the maverick would have to raise his game even further to have any hope of claiming the belt.
Featured Image Credit: Getty
