"Standing hammer fist is crazy" - MMA Twitter stunned by Sean Strickland's explosive brawl with former K-1 Kickboxing champion in Japan

Newly surfaced footage of former UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland has caught the attention of many MMA fans around the world. 'Tarzan' recently made a trip to Japan where he crossed paths with Japanese kickboxer and former K-1 super lightweight champion Rukiya Anpo.

The two fighters got into a sparring session where they displayed their skills with heavy aggression.

Check out the footage of their sparring session below:

Many MMA fans took notice of the sparring session and shared their reaction on social media.

One fan shared their astonishment at Strickland landing a hammer fist strike while standing on his feet.

"Standing hammer fist is crazy."

Another individual took a dig at the former UFC champion, asking why the 33-year-old failed to show the same aggression in his UFC bouts.

"Why can't he fight like this in the UFC?"

One person pointed out how Strickland's unorthodox fighting style proved beneficial against kickboxers like Anpo and former UFC champion Israel Adesanya.

"Crazy to see Sean's weird striking style constantly work well against kickboxers. First it was [Israel Adesanya] and now in this video it looks like he's getting the better of a former K-1 champ. His pressure & volume must be suffocating for these guys, only Alex [Pereira] could deal with it..."

A fan claimed that the strategy opted by Strickland in the footage would not work in an MMA fight against Khamzat Chimaev.

"He would be flat on his backside if he tries that kind of approach against Khamzat."

Check out a compilation of some of the reactions below:

MMA fans react to Sean Strickland's sparring footage

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What's next for Sean Strickland in the UFC?

Sean Strickland was last seen in action when he locked horns against Paulo Costa at UFC 302. The event was held on June 1 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. The five-round middleweight clash went the distance. In the end, 'Tarzan' got his hand raised via split decision.

After the fight, the former champion took to social media that he planned on waiting for the title shot for his next outing. He wrote:

"Time to sit and wait for a title shot.........."

But it appears Strickland would not be fighting for the belt anytime soon. The UFC recently announced that champion Dricus du Plessis will defend his middleweight crown against Israel Adesanya at UFC 305. The fight card will take place on August 18 at the RAC Arena in Perth, Australia.