Sean Strickland finds himself on the receiving end of a broken nose, a title rematch loss, and a whole lot of criticism after his performance at UFC 312. Strickland took on the middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis with a great deal of bravado in the lead-up. However, he failed to force any urgency as the champ chipped away at him bit by bit. However, it would seem, despite the subdued performance, Strickland has found some support from a UFC veteran.
Strickland and Du Plessis might have gone 5 rounds again at UFC 312 but the champion looked like he won every round convincingly. Du Plessis figured out a way to counter Strickland’s high press and Philly shell and keep cracking him up with high kicks and overhands. As the fight went on, DDP put more pace and intensity into his performance. Strickland, on the other hand, despite his coach telling him otherwise, didn’t seem eager to abandon his defense for a more versatile approach.
However, according to former UFC heavyweight Brendan Schaub, it is not as easy as it sounds. Schaub, who was tuned in for UFC 312, watching alongside Joe Rogan, praised DDP for putting on a masterclass. He then turned his attention to Strickland’s critics and said,
“For all the armchair quarterbacks saying, ‘Strickland should of went out on his shield’ go slam your face into the wall, shatter your nose and jump in with the best middleweight in the world and try and completely change your skill set and let me know how it goes for you. Not easy. Not realistic.”
DDP put on an absolute clinic Saturday night. Khamzat is next. If he passes that test he’s your next superstar. Also, for all the armchair quarterbacks saying “Strickland should of went out on his shield” go slam your face into the wall, shatter your nose and jump in with the… pic.twitter.com/t3DVC20OCb
— Brendan Schaub (@BrendanSchaub) February 10, 2025
Regardless of support from Schaub, it is currently unclear, where Strickland goes from here. The middleweight division is certainly not waiting for him. Du Plessis has been leaning towards Khamzat Chimaev, as has the UFC.
Strickland issues official statement following loss
Strickland has never been a quiet one, no matter the circumstance. That said, the UFC 312 loss seems to have induced a slight humility in the man.
In an Instagram post, the former middleweight champion shared his perspective on the defeat, expressing gratitude for the support from his fans. Strickland acknowledged the fight didn’t go his way but made it clear that he isn’t dwelling on the loss,
“So for you guys going through it, look at me, and I hope that, f*cking, your day gets better.”
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He also revealed that his nose was broken in six places during the fight but took it in stride, even joking about how easy it was to reset. So it is going to be at least a few weeks before he even plan his next move. He had been feuding with Chimaev for weeks before UFC 312, but with the Chechen fighter now in line for the title, it is unlikely that the fight would actually happen.
This leaves the American with one option- Israel Adesanya.
Adesanya had lost his UFC middleweight title to Strickland at UFC 293. This was the first of Izzy’s 3-fight losing streak. Now, as he tries to pick himself up once again, a rematch with Strickland might just be the best way to prove he still belongs in the top echelons of the 185 lbs division.
