UFC analyst Din Thomas didn’t hold back in his post-fight criticism of Sean Strickland after UFC 312.
Former UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland‘s attempt at redemption fell short against Dricus du Plessis in the UFC 312 main event. After a back-and-forth opening minutes of the fight, Strickland struggled to pressure and outland du Plessis as the fight went on, ultimately losing by unanimous decision.
After promising a ‘fight to the death’ at UFC 312, Strickland’s rematch with du Plessis didn’t live up to the lofty expectations the former titleholder proclaimed. Midway through the fight, Strickland suffered a broken nose from a massive du Plessis punch, which impacted his pace in the later rounds.
Regardless, one of the top UFC analysts didn’t hold back on Strickland and questioned his sincerity ahead of his fights.
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Din Thomas rips Sean Strickland as ‘not that guy’ after UFC 312 loss
During ESPN‘s UFC 312 post-fight show, analyst Din Thomas went off on Strickland for not living up to his pre-fight promises for the du Plessis rematch.
“We just have to admit it now – we have to admit it: Sean Strickland is not who he says he is,” Thomas said of Strickland. “He’s not who he says he is. We want him to be something. He wants to be something. But he’s not that guy.
“He’s not the guy who’s going to go to the death. (He says), ‘To the death.’ He didn’t go to the death. He didn’t even go deep. I’m not saying he’s not a great fighter. I’m not saying he doesn’t deserve to be where he’s at. But he’s not who he says he is. We’ve got to admit that.” (h/t MMA Junkie)
Thomas then doubled down on his stance by sympathizing with Strickland’s corner.
“As a coach, I feel for Eric Nicksick because I know what it’s like and I don’t even want to go and be in that situation again,” Thomas said. “I know I’m hard on Sean Strickland. I know it, but it’s because I’m cheated. I feel cheated by Sean.”
As of this writing, Strickland hasn’t responded to Thomas’ remarks. But if his past is any indication of what’s to come, he rarely turns down an opportunity to hit back at his detractors.
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Sean Strickland set up to potentially run it back with a former rival after UFC 312
After two middleweight title losses to du Plessis, Strickland is on the outside looking into the middleweight title picture. A third fight with du Plessis is unlikely unless Strickland goes on a torrid run through the division’s top contenders.
One such contender is Israel Adesanya, who Strickland defeated at UFC 293 to win the middleweight championship. It was considered one of the biggest upsets in UFC history.
Strickland and Adesanya could potentially clash in a rematch after their recent defeats. Adesanya most recently fell to Nassourdine Imavov by TKO at UFC Saudi Arabia earlier this month.
Du Plessis endorsed a Strickland vs. Adesanya rematch during his UFC 312 post-fight press conference. Adesanya sat Octagonside with one of his other former rivals as du Plessis retained the middleweight title this weekend.
Du Plessis is likely set for a clash with the undefeated Khamzat Chimaev for his next title defense. As for Strickland and Adesanya, they’re waiting in the wings, and have a long way to go to earn another shot at the champion.