Former middleweight champion Sean Strickland is in no rush to get back in the octagon without a belt on the line.
The controversial but beloved brawler just defeated Paulo Costa at UFC 302 to consolidate his position as the division’s number one contender. But after Robert Whittaker blasted out Ikram Aliskerov last weekend in Saudi Arabia, he could have some competition for that spot.
Naturally, the pair would be put together while champion Dricus Du Plessis defends his belt Israel Adesanya. Unfortunately for the Aussie, Strickland has no interest in such a match-up, and now wants to wait out for his second shot at gold.
- Who is Sean Strickland? Get to know the controversial former UFC Middleweight champion
Sean Strickland not interested in Robert Whittaker top contender fight
After losing his belt in a controversial split decision against Du Plessis in January, Sean Strickland has been keen to earn a rematch and get the title back. But despite his last victory, it appears that the promotion are not so eager, with the South African instead facing legendary former champion Adesanya.
Now, Strickland is done with fighting on, telling MMACrazy when asked about a fight with Whittaker: “It ain’t happening. I’ll say no, Whittaker he don’t deserve it, I’m next in line I defended my title shot, I’m the number one contender, it ain’t happening.
“He lost to both [Du Plessis and Adesanya] pretty unanimously. I beat Izzy, I beat Dricus and got f***ed in Canada, it ain’t happening. Ain’t f***ing happening, yeah I’m waiting.”
Robert Whittaker fears Sean Strickland could hurt his UFC standing by sitting out
However, Whittaker feels that just by virtue of being willing to fight, he may find himself taking precedence over Strickland in the rankings. Of course, Du Plessis winning would benefit him more given his previous losses to Adesanya and the lack of interest in a trilogy.
Whittaker made his interest in fighting any opponent at any time clear when he switched up opponents on a few days’ notice in Riyadh. He went from a major name in Khamzat Chimaev to the unranked Aliskerov, who was viewed as a dangerous prospect.
“I know the UFC doesn’t like people who wait and just chill on the sidelines,” Whittaker told TalkSport MMA in a recent interview. “What that means, I don’t know. But they don’t look favorably upon them. If I’m going to be honest, I don’t care what Sean Strickland does. He can do whatever he wants.”
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