"Maybe one day"- Sean Strickland reacts to receiving praise from unified lightweight boxing world champion Devin Haney
Sean Strickland shocked the world by defeating Israel Adesanya via unanimous decision to capture the middleweight title at UFC 293. 'Tarzan' was among the mixed martial artists who received praise from Devin Haney for his boxing abilities.
Speaking to Ariel Helwani of The MMA Hour, the undisputed lightweight champion shared that a bout between him and UFC bantamweight champion Sean O'Malley would not be competitive. He was then asked who he is impressed with, stating:
"Sean O'Malley, I like him. I like Israel Adesanya. I like [Conor] McGregor, of course. Oh, the one who had just fought Israel. [Sean Strickland]... He was working the shoulder roll. I've never seen that in the cage before. It surprised me, but he looked good doing it."
Check out Devin Haney's comments on mixed martial artists boxing skills below:
The middleweight champion caught wind of Haney's comments, sharing that he may take a boxing bout in the future if it is a big-money bout, tweeting:
"I spar a lot of high level boxers and they always say one thing "why don't you box" maybe one day for a big money fight."
Check out Sean Strickland's response to Devin Haney's comments below:
While Strickland has never had a professional boxing match in his career, he appears open to the idea. It is unclear, however, if such a bout will come to fruition or who he would face in the ring.
Las Vegas Raiders star details sparring with Sean Strickland
Sean Strickland has developed a reputation for being a difficult sparring partner as he is known for approaching his training sessions like a real fight, searching for a knockout. Las Vegas Raiders star Maxx Crosby recently revealed that he trained with 'Tarzan' earlier this year in preparation for the NFL season.
During a recent appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, 'Condor' stated:
"We did three three-minute rounds and we were banging. My nose was messed up for two weeks straight, but we were cracking. I have all the footage and everything. It was a real fight, we were out there swinging... Obviously, he got the better of me. He’s a UFC world champion. But I definitely landed some check hooks, I will say that, and the fact that I landed some, I gave him a little cut on his lip, I was proud of that."
Check out Maxx Crosby's full comments on sparring Sean Strickland below (starting at the 2:40:37 mark):
Crosby noted that he did not have a mouthpiece or headguard and that the pair beat each other up. He added that every piece of the footage was cut by NFL Films, claiming that Strickland is a maniac.