Sean Strickland Eyes Israel Adesanya Title Fight: “Let’s Get Some Fresh Blood In There”
Sean Strickland feels he’s done enough for a matchup with Israel Adesanya, but will understand if he needs one more win at middleweight.
Strickland used his boxing and torrid pace to outlast Jack Hermansson at UFC Vegas 47. Hermansson couldn’t get Strickland to the ground and Strickland was able to outclass him on the feet.
Strickland is in an interesting position in the middleweight title picture. While he’s undefeated since moving from welterweight to middleweight, he arguably didn’t put on enough of a show-stopping performance to earn the next title shot.
Derek Brunson and Jared Cannonier will fight on the UFC 271 main card, while Adesanya will face Robert Whittaker in a title rematch. Depending on how things play out, the winner of those two matchups could fight against one another next.
During his UFC Vegas 47 post-fight press conference, Strickland kept things in perspective as he moves closer to a shot at the belt.
Sean Strickland Makes Case For Next Title Shot
“At the end of the day, if f**king Izzy wins, if Cannonier wins, then Cannonier’s probably next,” Strickland said. “But he’s already ran through the division, let’s get some fresh blood in there. We don’t want to see another repeat. Let’s see a white trash motherf**ker get a crack at it.”
With the win over Hermansson, Strickland has now won six straight since moving back to 185 pounds. He’s earned knockout wins over Brendan Allen and Nordine Taleb while outpassing fighters such as Uriah Hall and Krzysztof Jotko.
One thing that Strickland does have going for him moving forward is his ability to market himself and his fights. This could be a welcomed opponent as Adesanya or Whittaker get ready to make their next title defense following UFC 271.
It’s unclear what’s next for Strickland, but he’s clearly the dark horse of the middleweight title picture and could get a No. 1 title contender fight next, at the worst.
Who do you want to see Sean Strickland fight next?
