Simply because Sean Strickland rocks, it doesn’t imply he’s made from stone.
If poisonous masculinity had a face, it could be Sean Strickland’s. However beneath that extremely robust exterior is a flesh-and-blood human being trying to navigate life after overcoming an amazing quantity of trauma. And whether or not you like him or hate him, it’s a must to respect how open the reigning middleweight world champion has been with followers relating to his rocky upbringing and the strained relationship together with his father.
Sadly, placing all of that data on the market makes it that a lot simpler for somebody to weaponize it. That’s precisely what occurred on the UFC Seasonal Press Convention final month in Las Vegas. Going face-to-face together with his first title challenger, Dricus Du Plessis, ‘Stillknocks’ determined to ship a low blow by making an ill-advised crack about Strickland’s childhood struggles.
The remark kicked off a fiery trade between the 2 which turned bodily 24 hours later after they had been seated close to each other throughout UFC 296.
Sean Strickland lets his guard down
Sean Strickland has since revealed that in an look on Theo Von’s This Previous Weekend podcast shortly after the incident, he was overwhelmed with emotion whereas reflecting on a second from his childhood.
The episode was formally launched on January 1, 2024.
“In second grade, I saved falling asleep at my desk and my trainer took my desk away from me,” Strickland mentioned. “She made me get up and so, me, I’m like, ‘F*ck you’ and being this little child, I simply went and fell asleep on the bottom. Thoughts you want, the college system’s like, ‘Oh, Sean, he’s only a unhealthy child.’ They don’t notice I’m up till three o’clock within the morning.
“I keep in mind laying in mattress, I keep in mind after I stopped believing in god, man,” he continued. “Like, f*ck. I’ve f*cking … it’s loopy sh*t, dude. Loopy sh*t, man (laughs)” (h/t MMA Mania).
Von started to inform his personal story after Strickland was carried out talking however he was fast to apologize because the champ was noticeably “simply processing,” as he’s heard saying.
“I feel that’s one of many exhausting issues individuals don’t perceive about trauma, you recognize?” Strickland added.
Sean Strickland is coming off his finest 12 months but in fight sports activities, incomes three straight wins, none larger than his lopsided unanimous determination victory over Israel Adesanya in September to say the 185-pound crown. He’ll put that title on the road for the primary time on January 20 when he headlines UFC 297 in Toronto towards No. 2 ranked contender Dricus Du Plessis.
‘Stillknocks’ goes into the bout driving an eight-fight win streak courting again to 2019.