Sean Strickland, the newly crowned UFC Middleweight champion, is renowned for his unfiltered remarks both in person and on social media. He recently shared his views on the upcoming UFC 294 pay-per-view event scheduled for Abu Dhabi.
Strickland co-hosts a podcast alongside his close friend and fellow middleweight contender, Chris “The Action Man” Curtis. He also provided his insights regarding the co-main event of the forthcoming fight night and delved into the subject of Paulo Costa, the 6th ranked UFC middleweight contender.
Sean Strickland drops bomb claim Kamaru Usman vs Khamzat Chimaev
Sean Strickland expressed strong criticism regarding the upcoming UFC 294 pay-per-view event set in Abu Dhabi. In the main event of UFC 294, Alexander Volkanovski stepped in on just 12 days’ notice to replace Charles Oliveira and face Islam Makhachev. In the co-main event, Kamaru Usman replaced Paulo Costa to take on Khamzat Chimaev.
The middleweight champion disapproved of the event as a standard match, citing concerns that replacement fighters were primarily motivated by money. Strickland, during his podcast, asserted that the UFC plans to compensate Usman generously for his participation in UFC 294. “Tarzan” speculated that the UFC is expected to issue a substantial $1.5 million check to Kamaru Usman.
Strickland and his podcasting co-host, Chris Curtis, analyzed the fight further. Both selected Chimaev to win, emphasizing Chimaev’s recent training camp as a decisive factor. They also noted that Usman did not have the benefit of a training camp. However, they clarified that their choice would have been Usman if the fight were a 5-round main event in the welterweight division.
Additionally, Sean Strickland was initially a target for the UFC to fight Chimaev on short notice, according to Marc Raimondi of ESPN. Interestingly, Strickland and Chimaev are cordial, as they have trained together at Xtrem Couture.
Sean Strickland wants UFC to cut Paulo Costa
Kamaru Usman stepped in at UFC 294 after Paulo Costa’s withdrawal from the event due to a staph infection. Strickland, who had repeatedly criticized Costa for being challenging to manage, expressed his thoughts on the situation.
Costa missed weight against Marvin Vettori, leading to the UFC shifting the fight to light heavyweight. The bout proceeded with Vettori’s acceptance of the weight change, and he secured a unanimous decision victory. Subsequently, the UFC scheduled a match between Costa and Robert Whitaker. Regrettably, Costa withdrew from the fight, causing frustration for both the promotion and Whitaker.
Costa’s last UFC appearance was at UFC 278, where he faced Luke Rockhold and secured a unanimous decision victory. However, his performance fell short of expectations. Initially scheduled to fight Ikram Aliskerov at UFC 291, the UFC later withdrew him from that bout and set up a match against Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 294.
Paulo Costa and Sean Strickland maintain a contentious relationship, with Strickland frequently criticizing Costa. In his most recent podcast episode, Strickland called on the UFC to release Costa, attributing his actions to the cancellation of a scheduled fight.
As for the upcoming UFC 294 showdown, it remains uncertain who will emerge victorious and challenge Sean Strickland. Will it be Usman or Chimaev? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
