Sean Strickland next fight: Who is the UFC middleweight fighting in December?

After losing in the very first round against Alex Pereira at UFC 276, Sean Strickland is looking to bounce back against Jared Cannonier. The two middleweights are set to clash in the main event bout on December 17th, with the event taking place at the UFC Apex Center in Las Vegas.

The contest is a big chance for Strickland to climb the middleweight rankings, with Cannonier currently sitting in the #2 spot in the division. Strickland is ranked #7, and will be hoping a win can get him back into title contention.

Both fighters are coming into the December contest from a loss, with Jared Cannonier losing via unanimous decision against current middleweight champion Israel Adesanya.

Watch Strickland's latest UFC outing here:

Sean Strickland recently caused controversy once again after a so-called awkward interaction with Aspen Ladd's MMA coach. Strickland has accused Jim West, Ladd's coach, of "grooming" the former UFC fighter.

The UFC middleweight had previously called the coach a "predator" on Twitter, but has since been banned from the social media platform. While detailing his interaction with West, Strickland stated that he was still going to "talk sh*t" about the coach despite him being friendly to Strickland upon meeting the fighter.

Watch Sean Strickland speak about the situation here:

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Jared Cannonier vs. Sean Strickland: Height, reach and UFC record comparison

When Sean Strickland takes on Jared Cannonier in December, 'Killa Gorilla' will have to overcome a minor height disadvantage, with Strickland standing 5cm taller than 'Killa Gorilla' at 185cm tall.

However, Cannonier will have a slight advantage in the reach department despite the 38-year-old being shorter than Strickland. 'Killa Gorilla' has a reach of 197cm, with his opponent having a reach of 193cm.

Watch Jared Cannonier's latest UFC outing here:

Both Strickland and Cannonier have been in the UFC for many years. 'Killa Gorilla' currently has a UFC record of 8 wins and 6 losses in the organization. His future opponent has an organizational record of 12 wins and just 4 losses.

However, both middleweights have consistently fought the best fighters in the organization. Strickland has recently fought the likes of Alex Pereira, Jack Hermansson and Uriah Hall, with 'Killa Gorilla' taking on the likes of Israel Adesanya, Derek Brunson and Kelvin Gastelum in his last three outings.