Former UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland is setting his sights on Belal Muhammad for his upcoming bout. Strickland is looking to bounce back into the middleweight title picture after suffering his second consecutive loss to Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 312 earlier this year.
Beyond his recent octagon setback, Strickland has also drawn attention for controversial actions, including a widely criticized sparring session with a social media personality. He also appeared to have a public disagreement with his coach, Eric Nicksick, suggesting potential changes to his corner team.
Strickland Calls Out Muhammad Following Welterweight Title Loss
Belal Muhammad`s tenure as welterweight champion recently concluded when he was defeated by Jack Della Maddalena. Prior to that fight, Muhammad had indicated a possible move up to the middleweight division with aspirations of competing for a title there.
With UFC President Dana White announcing Dricus Du Plessis is set to defend his middleweight title against Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 319, Strickland sees an opening. Given their past online exchanges, Strickland believes now is an opportune moment for him and Muhammad to finally settle their differences inside the cage.
Speaking with Helen Yee, Strickland commented, “I mean, Belal would be a fun fight, that’d be a fun one.” He then directly challenged Muhammad, saying, “Belal, you should finally step up… This is it, you can finally make it happen. All that stuff you talked, we can finally make it happen.”
Strickland continued his challenge, referencing their recent losses: “You lost your belt, you kind of got beaten, I got beaten, we should make that fight happen, Belal. That would be a good one, right? You can come up to middleweight. He said he would… All that stuff he talked on Instagram like ‘I’m gonna come fight you, I’m gonna do this’, now you can… do it.”
Sean Strickland Discusses His Current Weight
Despite training consistently throughout the year, Strickland mentioned he is currently weighing around 230 lbs, admitting he feels “a little fat.” This weight is closer to what a light heavyweight fighter might walk around at before cutting down to 205 lbs, suggesting he`s enjoying a period without an imminent fight camp.
To return to middleweight, Strickland would need to cut approximately 45 lbs, which would present him with various potential opponents. Among these, former middleweight champion Israel Adesanya has recently expressed interest in a rematch, following his unexpected title loss to Strickland.
Gareth Tenby