Sean Strickland is the talk of the town in the UFC middleweight division, and for good reason. 'Tarzan' is fresh off dethroning Israel Adesanya as the 185-pound king in one of the greatest upsets in MMA history. While the newly minted champion is currently celebrating his win, questions about his first title defense have arisen.
Fans are curious about whether the UFC will schedule an immediate rematch between him and Israel Adesanya. But the prospect of an immediate rematch has not been well-received. However, if Jared Cannonier has his way, the middleweight title will be contested in a different rematch.
'The Killa Gorilla' and Sean Strickland locked horns in December last year, closing out 2022 with a split-decision scrap that controversially went Cannonier's way. As the last person to beat Strickland, with a two-fight win streak to his name, Cannonier feels he more than deserves a title shot, calling for it on Instagram.
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Not only did he demand a crack at the title, but he also referenced Sean Strickland's own disappointment over how he had approached their fight. Jared Cannonier challenged 'Tarzan' to redeem his manhood in a rematch. Unfortunately, 'The Killa Gorilla' is unlikely to get it.
His last title fight against Israel Adesanya was widely panned, and fans don't seem to be answering his calls for a rematch with any enthusiasm. With Dricus du Plessis demanding a title shot of his own, and the UFC's openness to booking an immediate rematch with Adesanya, the middleweight title picture is chaotic.
How many weight classes has Sean Strickland fought in?
While Sean Strickland reached the peak of mixed martial arts glory at middleweight, he has actually fought in two other weight classes. In his first three MMA bouts, Strickland fought at welterweight, middleweight, then light heavyweight. His exploits at 205 pounds, however, are scarce as he's only fought there twice.
Meanwhile, his UFC run can be divided into his initial welterweight run, which saw him face the likes of Kamaru Usman and Santiago Ponzinibio, and his middleweight run, for which he is better known, as his outlandish persona debuted at 185 pounds.