Daniel Cormier outlines Sean Strickland's "most overlooked" attribute ahead of Dricus du Plessis title fight at UFC 297
Daniel Cormier recently highlighted a less-recognized strength of Sean Strickland as the UFC 297 title fight against Dricus du Plessis approaches.
Strickland is set to defend his UFC middleweight title against du Plessis in the main event of the first pay-per-view event of 2024, set for this weekend at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Canada.
During a recent episode of DC & RC, the UFC Hall of Famer discussed an aspect of Strickland that is often underestimated:
"I think that we, as a sport, overlooked how mentally tough Sean Strickland is. Because we talk about all of the things from the past, some of the absurd things he might say, but the moment he gets into the octagon stays in the course."
He added:
"He was talking about Israel Adesanya and dogs and all kinds of crazy stuff in the build-up to the last fight. They stepped into the octagon, and he looked like he had no issue with Izzy; he was there to do a job, and he was going to do it in the best way possible. I think that what's most overlooked about Sean Strickland is that regardless of the emotional outbursts that he may have in the build-up to these fights when he's in there, he fights with a game plan."
Check out Daniel Cormier's comments below (22:38):
'Tarzan' caused a major upset against Israel Adesanya, claiming the 185-pound championship at UFC 293 last September. Although 'The Last Stylebender' was widely expected to dominate, the 32-year-old Californian outstruck Adesanya for five full rounds and secured a unanimous decision victory.
Strickland executed an impressive yet simple strategy, leaning on fundamental boxing techniques, well-timed leg kicks, and effective defensive moves throughout the fight.
Sean Strickland issues a warning to Dricus du Plessis over trash-talking
Sean Strickland cautioned Dricus du Plessis against overstepping boundaries before their upcoming title bout this weekend. Strickland has previously emphasized that bringing up the topic of his childhood trauma transcends the realm of fighting.
The lead-up to the fight took a contentious turn last month during the UFC 2024 Seasonal press conference when the South African fighter stirred controversy by alluding to the middleweight champion's father, whom Strickland claims subjected him to childhood physical abuse.
During a recent episode of his podcast, The Man Dance, Strickland explicitly stated that he wouldn't accept du Plessis bringing up that topic again this week:
"I actually sent him a message and I was like, 'Listen, Dricus. We're going to go try and murder each other, but if you bring that sh*t up again, I will f**king stab you. Press conference, weigh-in. He was cool about it, he was cool about it. But again, I'm not telling you I don't want to fight you, Dricus. I'm not saying you're not a good fighter. I'm just saying that that's a line that, when crossed, transcends fighting."
Check out Sean Strickland's comments below: