After outdueling Paulo Costa
for five rounds in the UFC 302
co-main event, Sean
Strickland remains in the thick of the championship discussion
at 185 pounds.
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Strickland claimed middleweight gold with a massive upset of
Israel
Adesanya at UFC 293, but he relinquished the crown one fight
later, losing a narrow split decision against Dricus Du
Plessis at UFC 297 in January. While Adesanya hasn’t competed
since his loss to Strickland, it is expected that he will receive
the next championship opportunity against Du Plessis.
As for Strickland, he is willing to wait for as long as it takes to
receive what he believes he’s earned.
“As long as it takes, man. As long as it takes,” Strickland said at
Saturday’s post-fight press conference. “I want the gold, dude. I
want the gold. When you’re fighting these top-10 motherf—-s, dude,
you’re only one slip or dodge away from getting knocked out. I paid
my penance: I went and fought Costa. I didn’t want to and I did it.
Give me my f—-ng title shot. I beat Izzy, and that motherf—-er gets
a title shot.”
Strickland’s loss to Du Plessis was as close as they come, and many
observers scored the contest for the Xtreme Couture representative.
Strickland didn’t agree with the scorecards in that fight, which is
part of the reason why he plans to remain on the sidelines until
the title picture clears.
“I’m going to wait. I f—ing paid my f—ing dues. I got robbed in
dirty f—ing Canada [at UFC 297]. I got robbed there,” Strickland
said. “We all know I got f—ing robbed, so I’m going to sit on my
ass in the gym, and I’m going to be a team player, and I’m going to
f—-ing wait. I’m going to f—-ing wait until they say, ‘Sean, go
beat this f—-ing man.’”
Part of the dues paying process was agreeing to face Costa at UFC
302. According to Strickland, he could have avoided fighting until
he received a title shot, but he chose to accept a dangerous
bout.
“I could have waited, but then it would have been like, ‘Oh, well
Sean’s waiting. Sean’s doing this,’ so I said, ‘You know, f—k it.
I’m going to go fight him,’ and you know I’m going to beat him, and
then I’ll get my title shot,” Strickland said. “At the end of the
day guys I want that f—ing gold belt, but I want money. You get way
more money when you got a f—ing belt. So let’s go f—ing get that
belt, get that money.”