Sean Strickland's training partner, who's undefeated in MMA, shares encouraging words following 'Tarzan's' loss at UFC 312

UFC 312's main card delivered an intense middleweight title showdown between Dricus Du Plessis and Sean Strickland, culminating in a hard-fought split decision victory for Du Plessis. Strickland, known for his relentless style, sustained a broken nose during the bout but refused to back down, pushing forward until the final bell.

In a post-fight video, he shared his perspective on the loss, stating,

"Losing sucks, we all lose,... but I love the misery, I love the suffering."

He captioned his post:

"Thank you for allowing me to do what I love!!! Forever grateful 🙏,"

Check out Strickland's Instagram video below:

In the aftermath, Strickland’s training partner Johnny Eblen, the reigning Bellator middleweight champion, showed his support with an uplifting message. Eblen, who remains undefeated in his MMA career, praised Strickland’s heart and resilience, calling him a true champion regardless of the result.

Check out the screenshot of Eblen's comment:

Screenshot Johnny Eblen's comment on Sean Strickland's Instagram Post [Image courtesy @stricklandmma on Instagram]

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Belal Muhammad rips into Sean Strickland after UFC 312 loss

Sean Strickland came up short in his rematch against Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 312 on Saturday, Feb. 8. The fight, held in Sydney, Australia, ended in a one-sided unanimous decision loss for Strickland. His performance left much to be desired, drawing criticism from MMA fans.

Among those taking shots at Strickland was reigning welterweight champion Belal Muhammad, who has clashed with him in the past.

"I've been saying it forever: Sean s**ucks — he's trash. He talks a big game, but he never walks. Even to the fans that sit there and hype him up, like, 'He's the best boxer, has the best boxing defense, this and that. He's going to go to war, he's going to kill, I would bleed for my fans, I would die for my fans, blah blah blah,' but you go out there, and he just jabs and teeps and he fights like a scared little girl, and he doesn't want to get hit."

Check out Muhammad's comments in the video below: