"He just wanted to hurt people" - Ex-UFC star shares "angry guy" Sean Strickland's incredible evolution behind the scenes
Sean Strickland has undergone quite a transformation inside the gym in the last few years per a direct account from someone who has trained with the polarizing MMA fighter before. This individual in question had a three-fight stint in the UFC and competed against standout names like Benoit Saint-Denis during his tenure with the promotion.
Niklas Stolze is the combatant in question and he readies to compete next at Oktagon 60 against Matous Kohout on Sept. 7. Strickland's gym work is something that Stolze is no stranger to and the dynamics in that relationship have shifted in a notable way these last three-plus years.
Speaking on Bowks Talking Bouts in regards to working with the polarizing former UFC middleweight champion, Stolze said:
"I always call him Captain America [laughs]. He acts like a captain in the gym, you know. He's a good guy. He's overall a very good guy. I think he plays kind of a role, you know, because you have to. Because his career was kind of like on the sideways and then he made this boom and now he also became the champion. I had met him the first time in 2021."
"He was a bit different back then. He was more angry guy. He was just like angry and he just wanted to hurt people in sparring. So you had to be careful if you were going to have rounds with him, you know, if you had an upcoming fight. But now this whole training camp, he acted like a real team captain."
Check out Stolze describing his training timeline with Sean Strickland below (starting from 18:58):
Sean Strickland and Niklas Stolze's night sharing a UFC card
Sean Strickland and Niklas Stolze also competed in the same UFC event a bit over three years ago. This took place on July 31, 2021, with that Ultimate Fighting Championship offering taking place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Stolze had an opponent shift for this card after Mounir Lazzez was said to have had visa issues. He ended up fighting Jared Gooden and Niklas Stolze lost to Gooden via right cross 68 seconds into the contest in what was the featured fight of the night.
Strickland competed in that UFC Fight Night main event and emerged victorious by way of a unanimous decision. He secured this points-based win over Uriah Hall after going the full 25 minutes with the former Ultimate Fighter tournament finalist.