Prizefighting is tough work, and while many fighters claim they do it for the love of the game or their fans, Michael Bisping and Sean Strickland aren’t buying it. It’s difficult to ascertain the motivations of different individuals but to claim they are willing to get busted up in ways that would hamper their quality of life without getting paid for it is definitely a stretch.
Why would you risk your life and limb without the prospect of making a good living? This why why both Bisping and Strickland believe anyone who insists they are not in it for the money is a ‘f*cking liar’.
Ahead of his rematch with Dricus Du Plessis down under, Strickland showed up for an interview on Bisping’s YouTube channel. During their conversation, Bisping pointed out to Strickland that if he loses the rematch, another title shot would be difficult to come by, especially if Du Plessis remains the champion.
Strickland responded by claiming that he would be okay with it since fighting was not a necessity for him anymore.
“I am in a good place in my life financially. I could probably retire If i want to. Money is good and whoever says they don’t fight for the money is a f**king liar. Whenever I walk into fights I am not fighting for a paycheck I just fighting cause I love it.”
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However, this doesn’t mean that Strickland is taking it easy. He had already started promoting the fight with a multitude of out-of-pocket statements. He had even challenged Du Plessis to avoid grappling and meet him in a strikefest. Had DDP agreed to it, it could have been a similar event to the first the two fought at UFC 297.
Strickland was the champion back then and lost the fight to a split decision by the judges. This ended up dividing the fanbase, some of who believed he had done enough to win. Strickland himself asserted that he thought he had won it.
However, in a later interview, DDP called out Strickland for lying and claimed that right after the final bell, the American had approached him and told him otherwise. It seems Du Plessis still hasn’t let this alleged betrayal go.
DDP aims to finish Strickland saga
The first fight was a back-and-forth war, that saw both men take severe damage. Strickland marched forward with his Philly Shell style of fighting, which traditionally pushes his opponents back. However, being the madman that Du Plessis is; he walked into those shots, ate them and gave Strickland a run for his money.
From a technical perspective, it looked like a slog, a terrible street fight so to speak. But it worked its charm on the audience. Both fighters showed a lot of heart and were constantly on the prowl for the other’s face. The only thing lacking was a finish!
Revisit the key moments in Du Plessis vs. Strickland I from #UFC297 before the rematch #UFC312 | Saturday, 10 PM ET | ESPN+ PPV pic.twitter.com/f8bcav9dpP
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) February 2, 2025
Now, DDP claims he doesn’t mind a 5-round dogfight as long as it is entertaining, but promises that the main event of UFC 312 won’t last that long. He’s prepared for a stand-up war, a ground game fight, and whatever it takes to finish Strickland before the final bell rings.
Strickland will also have added pressure on him to deliver. Firstly, he made a great hullabaloo over their UFC 297 fight. And now he has to walk the talk.
The second reason why he needs to really show up is because there is a huge section of the fanbase that doesn’t believe he was warranted a title fight, to begin with. DDP himself had wanted the UFC for a fight with Khamzat Chimaev for the title after watching the latter bulldoze his way through Robert Whittaker at UFC 310.
But Strickland got the nod from the UFC and now we are here. Hopefully, both fighters can walk the talk and put this rivalry to an end once and for all.
