UFC legend Demetrious Johnson gave a blatant assessment of the state of Sean Strickland’s career following UFC 312.
UFC fan favorite Sean Strickland‘s bid to become a two-time middleweight champion fell short at UFC 312 this weekend. After promising a ‘fight to the death’ against Dricus du Plessis, Strickland struggled with putting out a high activity level on the feet as du Plessis outpointed him on the judges’ scorecards.
After defeating Paulo Costa in his previous fight at UFC 302, Strickland was out for revenge against du Plessis in their UFC 312 rematch. But after two losses to du Plessis over his last three fights, Strickland is in an unusual position in the middleweight division.
Johnson believes that Strickland’s current predicament is self-created due to an unwillingness to make substantive changes to his fighting style and approach.
Demetrious Johnson advises Sean Strickland against predictable fighting style
In a recent breakdown on his YouTube channel, Johnson encouraged Strickland to overhaul his style after UFC 312.
“I know I get called a Sean Strickland hater, but I’m not. I basically call it how I see it. Sean Strickland has a style where he would deviate from it,” Johnson said of Strickland. “Whether he’s losing a five-round decision, or if he’s winning a five-round decision, he will not deviate from that ‘Philly Shell’ style, with that beautiful jab he has, along with a 1-1-2 and a 1-1-wide 4. The teeps, the push kicks, he’s been doing that style from the very beginning…
“In order to get better at this sport, you have to take the time, swallow your pride and your ego, and put yourself in a position where you’re going to force yourself to evolve and get better and learn new tools. That’s the only way you’re going to become a better fighter in this game. Otherwise, people who are younger, who will take the time to evolve and get better, are always going to beat you.”
The UFC broadcast team repeatedly explained how Strickland’s low output against du Plessis was due to his defensive-minded style. While Strickland has defeated some of the division’s top contenders using this approach, it largely hasn’t worked over 10 rounds in the Octagon against the middleweight champion.
Johnson’s remarks hold plenty of merit. During his legendary UFC career, Johnson evolved and changed his style numerous times, including during his record-setting flyweight title reign.
Sean Strickland drew harsh criticism from multiple experts after UFC 312 performance
Johnson isn’t the only MMA expert to harshly criticize Strickland in light of his UFC 312 defeat. Din Thomas, a UFC analyst and longtime coach, said he ‘feels cheated’ by Strickland’s performance after promising a new approach to the du Plessis rematch.
But Strickland’s performance didn’t evolve entirely negative facets. Strickland set a UFC record against du Plessis, breaking Michael Bisping‘s record for significant strikes landed in middleweight history.
Luckily for Strickland, training under the tutelage of Eric Nicksick provides him with a unique opportunity to make significant changes to his style. Time will tell if Strickland will, as Johnson says, ‘swallow his pride’ for the greater good of his UFC future.