Sean Strickland is Not the Man I Thought He Was ‘At His Core’ – UFC Contender
Dan Hardy has a newfound respect for Sean Strickland.
Despite being a former UFC middleweight champion, Strickland is probably best known for his slew of online commentaries that often range from mildly humorous to downright disgusting.
However, according to Hardy, Strickland’s social media presence reveals only one side of a fighter who, at his core, is an exceptional leader at the gym.
“Honestly, there was one day we’re in the gym and at the end of the sessions the team rallies around and a few people speak and it’s always like motivational or advisory or whatever, and Strickland’s like, ‘Hey, you younger guys, you’ve been sparring way too much,” Hardy told Helen Yee. “‘You need to take a bit of time off.’ And I kind of paused for a second and looked over, and I’m like, ‘Is that Sean Strickland saying that?’
“Then there were times when he would come over and say, ‘Hey, you need to make sure that you set your training up right. You could be drawn into lots of groups. There’s lots of options here.’ And like every day, it seemed to be good advice from Sean Strickland. He’s not the person I thought he was…. At his core, he’s an incredible coach, and he has a lot of time for people. It’s been really interesting to watch him; he’s completely shifted my perspective of him.”
Could Sean Strickland secure another title shot in 2025?
Strickland has come up short in two of his last three outings, both of those coming against former middleweight titleholder Dricus Du Plessis. Still, Strickland is holding strong as the division’s third-ranked contender, leaving him potentially one big win away from another shot at the 185-pound crown.
As for who that win could come against, only time will tell.
