Sean Strickland reacts to Dan Hooker following the "CKB tradition" against Monster Energy at media day
Dan Hooker will stand by Israel Adesanya no matter what, even if he does not know the cause. The UFC lightweight veteran showcased his loyalty to his City Kickboxing team at UFC 305 media day by continuing a "CKB tradition."
As the No. 11 ranked lightweight contender sat down for his media day presser, Hooker immediately removed a Monster Energy bottle from the table. 'The Hangman' said it was a gym tradition, saying he does not even know why but that he knows Adesanya has a gripe with the company and thus, he stands by his teammate.
Adesanya's most recent opponent entering UFC 305, Sean Strickland, reacted to the action from Hooker with his thoughts of Monster. 'Tarzan' opposed the move, saying Monster is the "only company" that supports him.
On an Instagram video posted by The Mac Life's Oscar Willis, Strickland commented:
"Monster has been the only company to ride with me"
![Sean Strickland reacting to Dan Hooker's UFC 305 media day. [via @oscarswillis on Instagram]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2024/08/3ac8c-17237558715897-1920.jpg?w=500)
As Adesanya prepares to face Dricus Du Plessis in the UFC 305 main event, Hooker will face Mateusz Gamrot two fights before him on the pay-per-view card. He will end a 13-month layoff with the fight, last facing Jalin Turner at UFC 290 in what ended up being one of the best fights of 2023.
Sean Strickland's connection to UFC 305
After beating Paulo Costa at UFC 302, Sean Strickland declared that he would sit out until he got another title fight no matter how long it took. With the UFC middleweight title being contested at UFC 305, Dana White confirmed during fight week that Strickland is the favorite to face the winner of the main event in early 2025.
After an episode of Dana White's Contender Series on Aug. 13, White responded to the question backstage, saying Strickland "deserves" the fight as the No. 1 contender and former champion. 'Tarzan' has a history with both Dricus Du Plessis and Israel Adesanya, making whichever fight materializes a rematch.
After taking the title off of Adesanya at UFC 293, Strickland lost the belt in his ensuing title defense at UFC 297 to Du Plessis. The 33-year-old still believes he was wrongfully declared the winner of that fight, likely making that rematch the one he most desires.