For as much as Sean Strickland generates headlines for unfortunate reasons, the man is also a pretty good teammate.
On Saturday, Strickland scored another career-defining win, reclaiming the middleweight title by upsetting Khamzat Chimaev in the main event of UFC 328. The victory was Strickland’s second title-winning upset and may solidify his place in the UFC Hall of Fame one day. But after the massive win, Strickland is still primarily focused on his teammates.
On Tuesday, Strickland returned to his gym, Xtreme Couture, to show his teammates his new belt and give them a word of thanks and encouragement.
“After every L I’ve got, the fact that I went back and came to the gym is why I have another one of these f*ckers,” Strickland said.
“That being said, as always, I want to thank you guys. I’m pretty fucked up; I’m going to take a few weeks off. But I wouldn’t be here without you guys, seriously. F*cking, all the coaches, would not be here without you. So, it’s not just my belt, it’s our belt. Thank you.”
As for what comes next for Strickland, that’s still to be decided. Former champion Khamzat Chimaev has already started angling for an immediate rematch. Meanwhile, Strickland has said he believes in honoring the UFC rankings, suggesting a rematch with No. 3-ranked contender Nassourdine Imavov could be next.
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