Chael Sonnen busts Sean Strickland's "crazy" gimmick and describes his real personality
MMA legend Chael Sonnen has weighed in with his take regarding Sean Strickland's persona.
Strickland went on hiatus due to a motorcycle accident in late 2018. He made a triumphant return after a two-year break and showcased an improved version of himself inside the octagon from 2020 onwards.
Additionally, the 31-year-old drastically transformed himself into a fiery trash-talker, willing to give unabridged takes on even some of the most sensitive socio-political topics.
In an edition of Beyond the Fight, Sonnen suggested that Strickland's controversial comments and his recent rise as a polarizing MMA persona are part of the UFC middleweight's "madman" gimmick. Explaining that Strickland isn't really the "wild card" and "crazy" person he presents himself as, 'The Bad Guy' stated:
"Well, Sean Strickland does not make things particularly easy on old Chael, right? I just want you guys to meet him; I really do. I really do, even just in passing, I hope you see him and you're not intimidated, right? He's one of the guys that would intimidate you from coming, but saying hello -- I hope you go and say hello. Strickland is not only not crazy, okay, Strickland's not only a decent guy, Strickland's a gentleman."
Furthermore, Chael Sonnen pointed out that Sean Strickland is a "respectful" and "soft-spoken" individual. Expounding upon Strickland's gimmick, he opined that it has helped 'Tarzan' secure a main event spot in his upcoming fight despite coming off a knockout defeat. Sonnen indicated that Strickland is using the gimmick to benefit his career and added:
"The Strickland that you're seeing, right? I would never come out and bust a guy's gimmick, ever, particularly one that's working this well."
Moreover, Chael Sonnen insinuated that although the UFC brass don't treat fighters differently based on their political views, they're still human beings and might subconsciously discriminate against Sean Strickland. Resultantly, Sonnen believes that Strickland ought to tone down his gimmick to a certain extent.
Watch Sonnen discuss the topic in the video below:
Sean Strickland looks to re-enter the UFC title picture by defeating Jared Cannonier
Sean Strickland suffered a vicious first-round KO loss against Alex Pereira in their number-one contender's matchup in July. Pereira subsequently beat Israel Adesanya to capture the UFC middleweight title in November. Despite the devastating loss, Strickland is likely just one win away from re-entering the title picture.
WHAT A KNOCKOUT! 🤯
Alex Pereira just made a statement! 💥
#UFC276 https://t.co/lzZnbAxcP0
The No. 7-ranked UFC middleweight Strickland is scheduled to face No. 3-ranked Jared Cannonier in a pivotal middleweight matchup at tonight's UFC Fight Night event. Speaking of which, the consensus is that a win over Cannonier could catapult Strickland right back into the top-five ranks and provide him with a huge impetus in his quest to win UFC middleweight gold.