Is Sean Strickland autistic? The new champ refers to the condition in post-fight comments
The MMA world is still abuzz with excitement over the remarkable performance delivered by Sean Strickland in his UFC 293 title bout against Israel Adesanya. The freshly crowned UFC middleweight champion emerged from the contest unscathed, defying the predictions of many in the MMA community.
Sean Strickland executed a meticulously crafted game plan, relying on his exceptional boxing skills and defensive prowess to dethrone Adesanya. In the lead-up to the fight, MMA experts and fellow fighters had suggested that Strickland should employ his wrestling against an elusive striker like Adesanya. However, Strickland, known for his tenacious fighting style, opted to engage in a stand-up battle with arguably one of the finest strikers in the sport today.
When reflecting on his approach to the fight, Sean Strickland attributed his autism as a driving force behind his strategy. Speaking about the approach in the post-fight press conference, Strickland said:
"The gameplan was to wrestle, that's all we did all camp but when you're a little autistic you kinda just do what you do. I think I'm one of the best strikers in the world. Any time you're doing the man dance you're always one punch away from being knocked out, but I can spar with any world champion boxer and get the better of them."
Strickland also added.
"I am a great wrestler and I probably could have taken him down because he was dog tired, but at the end of the day, I like to strike. Going out on your shield is better that way."
Catch Sean Strickland's comments below (0:20):
Daniel Cormier calls for division progression and opposes the rematch between Israel Adesanya and Sean Strickland
UFC fighter-turned-analyst Daniel Cormier has voiced his reluctance to see Israel Adesanya return for a championship rematch against Sean Strickland. Adesanya experienced a major upset, losing the middleweight championship to Strickland via unanimous decision at UFC 293.
With two losses in his last three fights, Adesanya's career has hit uncharted territory after dominating the division with five title defenses during his first title reign. While UFC president Dana White has expressed interest in a rematch, Cormier believes it's time for the division to move forward.
Cormier highlights the abundance of worthy contenders, such as Dricus du Plessis, Jared Cannonier, and the potential winner of the upcoming UFC 294 bout between Khamzat Chimaev and Paulo Costa, suggesting they should have a shot at Sean Strickland before Adesanya. Speaking in a post-fight segment of the UFC 293 pay-per-view broadcast, Cormier said:
“The last time Izzy lost, all we could speak about was he should be next again. I don’t think that this time. I don’t think he should fight for a belt next. I don’t think he should get an automatic rematch. I think the division needs to move on a little bit.”