Sean Strickland made quite a lot of guarantees forward of his rematch towards Dricus du Plessis at UFC 312.
Within the weeks and days main as much as the occasion, Strickland vowed to struggle to the loss of life with plans to convey a conflict to Sydney, to go away no doubts after dropping a heartbreaking break up determination of their first encounter. However in the long run, Strickland misplaced in much more lopsided trend this time round and he by no means actually modified a lot about his strategy aside from absorbing much more injury.
Following the struggle, the previous middleweight champion confronted quite a lot of criticism for a lackluster outing together with UFC analyst Din Thomas erupting whereas saying that “Sean Strickland shouldn’t be who he says he’s” and “he’s not the man who’s going to go to the loss of life” when he fights.
Retired UFC welterweight Matt Brown can’t assist however surprise if Thomas or anyone else upset at Strickland simply haven’t been paying consideration this complete time.
“Lots of people are dogging Sean for not ‘preventing to the loss of life’ or going to conflict or no matter,” Brown stated on the newest episode of The Fighter vs. The Author. “What I wish to know is when did we begin listening to what fighters say? Significantly what Sean Strickland says?
“He’s an apparent good fighter, an elite fighter. What he has carried out has received him to the place he’s at. Why would you all of a sudden change it up and why would we anticipate him to all of a sudden change that up within the fifth spherical or fourth or no matter? That is what he does. That is who he’s.”
As a lot as Strickland would possibly get the gang riled up by declaring that he’s going to struggle to the loss of life, Brown is aware of that’s nothing greater than promotional bluster.
The larger issue to think about right here is Strickland’s historical past the place he’s largely displayed the identical model in virtually each struggle he’s had within the UFC. Brown says anyone who truly believed that he was all of a sudden going to throw down in some sort of wild brawl has nobody guilty however themselves for what truly unfolded at UFC 312.
“We all know what he’s going to do when he goes in there and fights,” Brown stated. “It’s a secure model and it’s a great model to win fights on choices. Once more, that is what the UFC has carried out — I’ve talked about this many occasions — what they’ve carried out higher than any sport in historical past is that they have magnified the personalities of these competing. We completely purchase into this and we find it irresistible. That’s what the UFC markets.
“The UFC by no means as soon as marketed Sean Strickland’s preventing model however they completely marketed who he’s as an individual. With social media as of late, it magnifies it much more and the UFC is simply going to amplify that increasingly more. There are quite a lot of guys like this.”
Brown doesn’t fault Strickland for making loopy claims earlier than he competes as a result of that’s what most fighters do to get individuals sufficient to plunk down $80 on a UFC pay-per-view.
To all of a sudden get upset that Strickland just about fought how he at all times fights simply exhibits that some people aren’t paying consideration.
“What’s he purported to say?” Brown stated. “Do you anticipate him to hype up the struggle by saying, ‘Yeah, I’m going to go in and jab him for 5 rounds, all people tune in!’ No, he’s attempting to hype the struggle and get all people and it really works.
“Everyone buys into that propaganda or rhetoric or no matter and all people buys in and desires to observe. Now all people is speaking about it. Everyone is so shocked he didn’t go to conflict and attempt to be keen to die for it. When did this turn into his factor?”
Maybe this isn’t what some followers or analysts wish to hear however Brown is aware of most fighters spout all kinds of nonsense to drum up curiosity in an occasion.
It’s nothing new and Strickland didn’t do something mistaken by under-delivering on outlandish claims made throughout interviews or a pre-fight press convention.
“We’ve received to take out the issues that they are saying,” Brown stated. “That’s onerous to do as a result of there’s a lot of that PR on the market about these guys and we get to know them. You don’t see this sort of stuff in different sports activities. We base it off stats and goal measurable numbers. This sport, all people buys into the personalities and the clown present for some individuals. The Colby Covington clown present. Issues like this.
“[Sean Strickland] could imagine in his thoughts that he fights to the loss of life. If it was an precise struggle to the loss of life, it was a no time restrict, he is likely to be able to doing that, and I don’t doubt that he would. However this can be a sport with guidelines. A variety of what we will see is goal. Objectively, he has by no means fought that manner. Why would we anticipate him to all of a sudden struggle that manner?”
