Sean Strickland shares one-word reply to Dillon Danis trolling his fighting style
The UFC 302 co-main event fight was expected to be full of action, with Sean Strickland and Paulo Costa meeting in a five-round bout. Instead, the 25-minute affair primarily featured 'Tarzan' walking down the Brazilian en route to his 14th career decision win. Following the fight, many were critical of both fighters' performances, primarily Strickland's.
Of those criticizing the fight, Dillon Danis mocked Strickland's fight style on X with a picture of the former champion's unorthodox stance.
Strickland responded to the tweet but instead of firing back at the former Bellator welterweight, he gave a simple one-worded reply.
Strickland commented:
"Fair"
The fight's statistics show that Strickland landed 182 significant strikes as opposed to Costa's 158. The numbers suggest a high-action five-round war, but most of the strikes accumulated were the result of the American landing jabs and teep kicks as Costa returned with leg kicks and timid body shots.
Immediately following the fight, Strickland apologized to the crowd for putting forth a non-entertaining performance that he attributed to his lack of athleticism and Costa's constant backward movement.
Sean Strickland tweets the "only way" his UFC 302 fight should be watched
Sean Strickland has accepted all criticism from fans for his lackluster performance in his win over Paulo Costa at UFC 302. Many have called out the fighter for his dreary fight style in the past, but his recent increase in popularity has attracted more eyes to his fights.
In the days after the fight, Strickland re-tweeted a fan who posted a sped-up video of the fight, saying that it was the "only way" people should re-watch it.
Through years of developing his awkward stance and fight style, Sean Strickland's uncommon approach was a key reason he was able to pull off a major upset win over Israel Adesanya. However, it has become a highly contentious topic among fans due to his tendency to out-point opponents behind his defensive approach rather than chase knockouts or submissions.