Top UFC light heavyweight feels Sean Strickland was "too much too early" for Abus Magomedov

Sean Strickland made his title aspirations clear with a superb performance against touted prospect Abus Magomedov at UFC on ESPN 48 last weekend. The pair did battle in the main event of the card, and 'Tarzan' needed all of two rounds to finish his opponent.

It was Strickland's first finish in three years, and the No. 7-ranked middleweight contender was awarded the Performance of the Night bonus.

After a blistering first round, Magomedov was unable to keep applying pressure in round two, allowing Sean Strickland to takeover the fight. Former UFC title challenger, Anthony Smith, believes that 'Tarzan' was too big a test fo Abus Magomedov so early in his UFC career.

During a recent episode of the Believe You Me Podcast, hosted by Michael Bisping alongside Smith, the light heavyweight contender said this:

"Not only is he economical, he's super tough and he's got really good vision. He sees a lot of shots, he rolls with things, doesn't get hit clean that often. I think a guy like Sean Strickland, in this point in Magomedov's career, is always going to beat him. Sean is in it for the long haul, he's there for 25 minutes if he has to be. And he's not chasing a finish 'cause he doesn't need it. I think it was just too much too early for Magomedov."

Watch the video below from 5:35:

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Sean Strickland believes he deserves a title fight against Israel Adesanya

Sean Strickland is currently 8-2 over his last 10 UFC fights following a stellar second-round KO win over Abus Magomedov last week. 'Tarzan' bounced back from consecutive defeats to Alex Pereira and Jared Cannonier by defeating Nassourdine Imavov and now Magomedov.

Strickland rallied for a title shot against Israel Adesanya during the post-event press conference, stating that he has "paid his dues" by taking on unranked opponents on short notice.

Adesanya is currently without a next opponent, but the middleweight clash between Robert Whittaker and Dricus du Plessis at UFC 290 this weekend could decide the champion's next challenger.

Despite this, Strickland put forward his case for a title shot against 'The Last Stylebender' and said this:

"We know Izzy's on f***ing repeat... Every time [the UFC] has tried to bring new blood, the Frenchy I fought before [this], I sent him home. This guy, I sent him back. Every time they try to bring new blood in I send 'em back. Give me the f***ing title, I earned it..."

Watch the video below: