Sean Strickland He is a former UFC champion. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram/UFC
Former middleweight champion (up to 83,9 kg) and still looking at the next steps towards the category belt, Sean Strickland has strong opinions about the confrontation between Dricus du Plessis x Khamzat Shimaev No. UFC 319, on August 16. A rival of both athletes, the American did not mind naming himself the favorite for the duel.
Aware of the Emirati's great grappling skills, Strickland warned Du Plessis about the pressure from the title challenger, but did not rule out the champion's triumph if he can weather the initial storm of the fight.
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"Dricus has a better stand-up game than Chimaev, but Chimaev has a very aggressive grappling game. I've trained with these Dagestani terrorists my whole life. I know how to get up against these guys and weather a storm. I don't know if he (Dricus) has ever faced this level of wrestling, which can leave him a little unprepared. Dricus really needs to be prepared for extreme pressure on the ground. If he can withstand that, he'll defeat him," Strickland said during a video released at the Xtreme Couture gym.
Defeated twice by Du Plessis, Strickland managed to reach the judges' decision on both occasions, but his arm was not raised, despite disagreeing with the scoring in the first fight. Since then, the fighter has been hoping for another chance to become champion, but he is currently suspended due to disciplinary actions.
Protagonists of UFC 319Du Plessis and Chimaev will face off on August 16 in Chicago, USA. So far, Lobo is undefeated in his professional MMA career and is considered the favorite by bookmakers.
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