Peace and love? Dana White doubts the 'good' version of Strickland in the UFC after victory and deal with Chimaev.

Dana at the UFC press conference. Photo: Reproduction/Facebook/UFC

Sean Strickland He simply played a giant prank on MMA fans and professionals in UFC 328 And it's not just about the result. In the main fight of the event held last Saturday (9), in New Jersey (USA), the American won the middleweight belt (up to 83,9 kg) for the second time by overcoming Khamzat Shimaev By split decision, he immediately ended the rivalry with him. However, Dana White believes that the bad boy will soon return to normal.

At the Zuffa Boxing post-event press conference, held last Sunday (10), the UFC president doubted that Strickland, from now on, will be a 'peace and love' fighter and easy to deal with. It is worth noting that the American surprised by apologizing to the Chechen for the attacks made to him, his country, people, his religion (Islam) and explained that he adopted the hostile posture to promote the duel.

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Not satisfied, the two-time middleweight champion, always sincere, implied that the animosity with Chimaev wasn't as hostile as many imagined, made a point of thanking the fans for their support and affection, and stressed that the world of fighting saved him from being a 'bad man'. It's true that Dana doesn't see a problem with Strickland showing a pleasant and sensitive side, but, knowing him, he bets it's only a matter of time before he stirs up controversy again.

“One of the many things I love about combat sports is the unique type of tough person—mentally, physically, and emotionally—that you need to be to compete in this sport. And when you look at everything that was said by those two before the fight, normal people like us could never imagine what it must feel like to come out of the tunnel and fight in front of the whole world,” said the official.

“It’s part of what makes combat sports so unique and incredible, and the athletes who compete here are simply fantastic. There’s nothing like combat sports, the best sport in the world. And yes, I highly doubt we’ll have a new and improved Strickland. I’ll believe it when I see it, but I’m not buying it.”

“Considering everything they went through before the fight, I think all the emotion came to the surface after the victory and the way it happened. He broke his nose in the first round. I think we saw a lot of Strickland. I don’t know how long this will last. If that’s where he’s going now, I guarantee nobody is happier than me. But I don’t believe it,” he concluded.

Strickland defeated Chimaev in the UFC. Photo: Reproduction/X/UFC

Strickland fighters in MMA

Sean Strickland[Name], 35 years old, is one of the best fighters in the history of the middleweight division, being a two-time UFC champion. The American began his MMA career in 2008, debuted in the company in 2014, and won the category's belt in 2023 and 2026. Currently, the athlete is ranked seventh in the pound-for-pound rankings.

In sports, the bad boy built a record of 31 wins and seven losses. His main triumphs were against anthony hernandez, Brendan allen, Israel adesanya, Khamzat Shimaev, Nassourdine Imavov e Paulo borrachinha.