On Saturday at UFC Vegas 47, Sean Strickland extended his win streak to six. “Tarzan” emerged victorious in his second Fight Night headliner by defeating Jack Hermansson via split decision.
But as the 30-year-old told Michael Bisping in the Octagon interview, it wasn’t exactly a performance to be proud of.
“I fought like a chump that fight, I’m sorry guys. I should’ve stayed in the pocket and thrown more, but lesson learned. It won’t happen again.”
During the media scrum, Strickland admitted he was a bit thrown off by a pre-fight conversation he had with “fancy folk in the suits,” who are likely some members of the UFC’s top management.
“I get a lot of fancy f—rs wearing suits, and they come up to me and they start talking about title fights and things of that nature,” he told the media. “You hear that all the time, and you start thinking, ‘Do I really want to risk getting knocked out when I can go for a title fight?’
“So I let the fancy folk in the suits throw me off a little bit. But it won’t happen again.
“They start talking about, like, bonuses and wins and half my pay, man. I want a title shot. I don’t want to go in there potentially get knocked out. Everybody will be, like, ‘Hey Sean, you’re a f—ng nobody.’ I’m gonna see you guys in the hall, and you’re gonna act like you don’t f—ng know me anymore ’til the next time I fight.”
Strickland is slowly gaining attention, partly because of his antics outside the cage. But he sees the fan recognition as something to be thankful for, and he has this message to his supporters.
“Here’s the thing about the fans: you guys are cancerous little f—ng assholes, and the moment I lose, I’m a piece of shit and a loser,” Strickland said. “I guarantee I’m gonna get ‘Oh, Sean’s a f—ng loser. He didn’t finish Jack.’
“But at the end of the day, I still f—ng love you guys. I f—ng love you guys. You’re the reason why I got a job. Even if you sit there and you’re f—ng on your little thumbs and your little tweet o’Tweet, never been in a f—ng fight in your life. But at the end of the day, you’re the reason why I have a career and a paycheck. So thank you, you bastards.”
With the win over Hermansson, Strickland now improves to a record of 25-3. He hopes to get a title shot next, but as a self-proclaimed company man, he says he’s willing to fight whoever is put in front of him.
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