Sean Strickland reveals why his killer instinct in sparring doesn’t always translate to UFC fights - "It's fu*king easy peasy"

Sean Strickland recently detailed why he didn't bring his reckless sparring session approach to his fights inside the octagon. Strickland attributed this change in attitude to one factor specifically.

Strickland's sparring sessions are a perfect representation of the style of his living. 'Tarzan' doesn't mind going no-holds-barred in his sparring sessions just like his nonchalant approach towards the incidents in his life. His coach at Xtreme Couture, Eric Nicksick, has appreciated his dedication to training and sparring multiple times.

However, several fans and UFC pundits have often termed Strickland's in-octagon fighting style as 'boring.' Even his upcoming rival Dricus Du Plessis derided his fighting style and revealed how it made the crowd erupt into "boos" during their UFC 297 encounter.

ESPN reporter Brett Okamoto recently caught up with Sean Strickland for an interview. Okamoto questioned Strickland about the reason behind the absence of the 'killer instinct' from his UFC fights that could be witnessed in his sparring sessions.

Strickland said the difference in the skill level of his rivals in a sparring session and a UFC fight was the primary reason behind this change. He also stressed how a fight became a 'chess match' when both the fighters were 'world-class.'

He said (via Home of Fight's X handle):

"When you are fighting world-class fighters, if you catch me and Johnny [Eblen] fight, it becomes a fu**ing chess match. It's like world-class level striking meets world-class level striking... You bring in anybody who's not a top world champion, yeah it's [will be] fu*king easy peasy."

---

Sean Strickland recently derided American pop star Selena Gomez

Sean Strickland is known for putting his country above everything and often fires shots at the ones whose views don't align with him.

The California native had been pretty vocal about how scores of illegal immigrants from Mexico had entered America during the rule of ex-POTUS Joe Biden and the Democrats. However, President Donald Trump has taken strict action against them as they are currently being deported to their country.

Mexican-American pop icon Selena Gomez recently uploaded a video on her social media profiles that showcased her crying due to the deportation of illegal Mexican immigrants. Strickland, who is strictly in favor of this move, urged the Mexican government to take Gomez back to her native land. He wrote on X:

"Mexico take her [Gomez] back please."