By Saturday, Sean Strickland could be the new middleweight champion of the world.
Of course, it’s no cakewalk for the #5 UFC Middleweight contender as he is set to challenge the two-time champ Israel Adesanya in the main event of UFC 293 in Sydney, Australia.
‘Thank You For The Paycheck, Sir’
While he might be behind the #1 ranked Dricus Du Plessis and several other players at middleweight, Strickland was ultimately chosen to be the next title challenger by ‘The Last Stylebender’ himself.
Strickland expresses his gratitude for the upcoming ‘green’ he’s about to make.
“Well, thank you, Izzy,” Strickland said at UFC 293 media day. “I’m telling you, I would probably like Izzy, you guys, you know, I’m sure he is a nice enough guy. Thank you, Izzy. Thank you for the paycheck, sir. I can’t wait to fight you.”
Immediate Rematch?
That check could be cut twice if Strickland somehow pulls off a win over Adesanya this weekend.
“Oh man, I’ll fight him in the f*cking parking lot afterwards,” Strickland said of a potential rematch with Adesanya, should he beat him. “I’ll fight anybody in here. I like fighting, it’s fun. It makes me laugh, dude. I could go training with the best world champion boxer, best kickboxer and I’ll f*cking put hands on him. I think I run my mouth so much. People forget that I could fight.”
Strickland Says UFC Belt Won’t ‘Define’ Him
For many fighters across the world, winning the UFC title is the ultimate goal in the sport. For Sean Strickland however, that doesn’t seem to be the case as the controversial contender apparently cares for money more than he does about legacy.
“It’s all f*cking bullshit,” Strickland said of getting a UFC title shot. “Just ask f*cking c*ck ring, over there. I’m in it to get a check and it means so much to me to fight. It means so much to me, but it’s a f*cking piece of metal. I’m in it for the paycheck.
“I love this shit [but] having a piece of metal around my waist doesn’t define me. It doesn’t make me who I am. It doesn’t make me f*cking happy. It’d be nice, but at the end of the day, it is just a fight. It’s just fun.”