"He got conned by the system" - Luke Rockhold lashes out at "dumb" Sean Strickland for engaging in a stand-up battle with Alex Pereira
Sean Strickland's six-fight win streak came to an end at the hands of the UFC's latest middleweight sensation, Alex Pereira. The Brazilian knocked Strickland out in the first round, proving himself to be one of the best strikers in the UFC and exposing a glaring error in Strickland's gameplan.
Luke Rockhold discussed UFC 276 with Submission Radio and was asked for his thoughts on the Sean Strickland vs. Alex Pereira fight. The former middleweight champion called Strickland out for succumbing to the system:
"I think he got conned by the system. Sean [Strickland] just proved how f**king dumb he is. The system wanted him to try to stand with him and prove that stupid point."
Rockhold thought Strickland was committed to a style that did not match up well against Alex Pereira in the fight. Standing up to 'Poatan' in an aggressive stance exposed him to the knockout power of Pereira. On Twitter, he was lambasted for his nonchalant defense against an explosive opponent.
This is smart. This is the correct way to stand in front of one the heaviest p4p punchers. https://t.co/9eEIyAIXiO
Strickland's failure was more mental than physical, as he clearly possessed the skill to challenge someone like Alex Pereira. However, Strickland seemed to burden himself with expectations to combat the narrative that he should fear his opponent's striking. A more cautious approach would have allowed him to read his opponent better and react as the fight progressed.
Watch the full fight highlights from this audience footage:
Sean Strickland lost more than just a fight against Alex Pereira
This loss ruined Sean Strickland's excellent win-streak and effectively delayed any title-contention chances that he held. With 'Poatan' poised to face middleweight champion Israel Adesanya next, the title shot is much further than it seemed a week ago.
Strickland made a big deal in the lead-up to the fight about his striking and spared no chance to downplay his opponent's skill. In a bid to come good on the narrative that he created, the No.7-ranked contender not only lost the fight, but also compromised his chances at the title.
Luke Rockhold addressed the same in his interview:
"You know, it happens. It happens to a lot of people. You know, you try to overprove yourself and do something stupid. That's the game, the fight game, it's a mental f**king battle. And he lost that battle."
Fighters often succumb to the system that forces them to hype themselves up, resulting in competitors employing game-plans that aren't conducive to their respective skill sets. Sometimes these erroneous game-plans lead to bad results that they'll never recover from—could Strickland go down this same path?
Check out Luke Rockhold's complete interview with Submission Radio: