UFC middleweight champ Sean Strickland has urged the fight fan he assaulted last September in Sydney to make himself known to Fox Sports Australia, declaring: “I need to find out who you are”.
On the eve of his first title defence against South Africa’s Dricus du Plessis at UFC 297 in Canada, Strickland has come under fire for yet another outlandish statement, this time threatening to “f…ing stab” his rival.
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The bizarre outburst is the latest for a fighter who has also taken aim recently at fellow UFC stars Ian Garry, Israel Adesanya, Colby Covington, Sean O’Malley, even Australia’s first UFC king, Robert Whittaker.
Speaking with Fox Sports Australia this week, Strickland doubled down on his Whittaker attack – which started with him saying he would “f…ing destroy” the former champ who “has a blitz, nothing else” – by questioning if he still has the “fire” to fight in the UFC.
But of more concern to the controversial American is tracking down the Sydneysider who he gut punched on the streets of Bondi just days before claiming gold via the shock upset of UFC megastar Adesanya at UFC 293 in Sydney.
With the NSW Government having shelled out $16 million to bring the Octagon to Sydney, it was initially whispered that people in power were reluctant to have Strickland, and his contentious views, headline a Harbour City card.
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Things then got worse in fight week when the Las Vegas-based fighter admitted to assaulting a fan on the streets of Bondi, saying of his punch: “Boom, right in the guts … I’d only been in Australia a day and already I’d committed an assault”.
Yet now only days out from his first title defence, Strickland insists none of his incredible rise this past year would have been possible without the actions of that mystery fan, believed to be a male in his twenties.
“So that guy needs to step up, man,” Strickland said.
“C’mon, come forward.
“I’ll give the guy signed shirts, whatever he wants.
“Because that guy was the hero of fight week.
“If he’d gone in and pressed charges, me and Adesanya would never have fought.
“But he didn’t.
“That’s why I need to find out who he is, for sure.
“Because that guy was awesome … he was the f…ing man of the hour.”
Asked which had caused him more heat, the Bondi assault or his more recent du Plessis stabbing threat, Strickland shot back: “I didn’t threaten to stab him.
“That’s not what I said.
“I said ‘please man … there’s certain lines that you just don’t cross’.
“But I didn’t threaten to stab him.
“I just want this fight to happen, I think it can be a great fight and a good f…ing time.”
Yet that statement appears at odds with the ongoing feud between the two headliners that began during a wild press conference to launch their bout in December.
During proceedings, the 30-year-old not only revived Strickland’s childhood abuse traumas, but warned: “You think your dad beat the s … out of you? Your dad doesn’t have s … on me … every childhood memory you have is going to come back when I’m in there with you.”
A day later, with both in the crowd at UFC 296 in Las Vegas, Strickland leapt over a row of seats inside T-Mobile Arena and attacked du Plessis in wild scenes.
When recalling the incident on his podcast this past week, Strickland said: “Remember when I attacked Dricus?
“I actually sent him a message and I was like, ‘Dude listen, Dricus, we’re going to go try to murder each other, but if you bring that s… up again, I will f….ing stab you.’
“Press conference, weigh-in … I’m saying that’s a line that, when crossed, it transcends fighting.
“Like, if I go to Canada and you bring that up, well guess what? I’m going to go to jail, they’re going to deport me, and we spent eight weeks of training for no f…ing reason.”
Asked if the pair had crossed paths this week, Strickland said: “I’ve run into him, talked to him, he’s a nice guy.
“Fight hype got the better of us.”
So it won’t be a loose press conference this week then?
“I dunno man,” the champ continued.
“What do you want?
“Do you want me saying ‘Dricus I’m gunna f… you up?’
“So yeah, I’ll be cool man, I’ll be cool.
“Or maybe not.
“Who f…ing knows with these things.”
Asked if, when initially detailing his traumatic childhood in interviews, he ever expected it to be used against him, Strickland said: “Umm, no
“But at the end of the day, I move so hard on people that some you get what you deserve.
“And I can’t say I fault anyone for going there.
“It is what it is.”
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“No, because I always try to be authentic,” he said.
“I try to be f…ing honest with people and that’s why I think people like me.
“But at the same time, I don’t need to be liked by people.
“There are so many people in this world who want to be loved, want Instagram followers and so on.
“But I don’t give a f… if you like me or not.
“I just want my money and to move on.
“You see so many fighters who live, eat and breathe MMA.
“Then the moment that’s gone, their identity crumbles.
“I just want to make money and retire.
“I don’t give a f… about the cameras because they don’t give a f… about you.
“People don’t give a f… about you.
“In a year or so nobody gives a f… about you so go make your own life, your own happiness.”
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Asked about Whittaker’s most recent fight with du Plessis, and his comments about the Aussie fight favourite, he said: “I saw a guy who was just there.
“A guy who just showed up.
“So maybe it was a mental thing.
“Maybe he doesn’t have the fire any more.
“Or maybe a loss like that, it rekindles the fire. Who knows?
“But look at my face man.
“(Starts pointing) I’ve got a cut here, black eye here, another cut here … win or lose a fight, I’ve done everything in my power to get it done.”
And as for how he gets it done against DDP, who loves to make dog fights of his bouts?
“Just be better, man,” he said.
“But honestly, you never know what it’s about until you’re in there.
“Until you’re across from them and can see what’s coming.
“You can either see everything that’s coming – every move – or you’re like ‘what the f… is going on?’.
“Doesn’t matter how you train.
“You don’t f…ing know until it’s fight time.”