Sean Strickland and BKFC involved in heated social media row

Sean Strickland is never too far away from controversy and after speaking his mind about Diego Sanchez's bare-knuckle boxing debut, a heated social media exchange between himself and BKFC ensued.

'The Nightmare' is a beloved fighter in UFC's history, with the majority of the company's roster wanting the legend to take a back seat from competing in combat sports and lay down the gloves. The 41-year-old is determined to carry on his legacy despite having fought professionally for over two decades.

While criticizing Bare Knuckle FC's decision to allow Diego Sanchez to fight, Sean Strickland found himself embroiled in an unlikely social media feud with the promotion:

"You still getting beat up in Jiu-Jitsu practices tough guy?" BKFC stated, prompting a response from Strickland. "You sign old fighters who should retire and call it a fight. Your organization is a clown show... and you know if this conversation was in person you wouldn't make eye contact with me. Lmao, welcome to the internet tough guy..."

The feud between Strickland and BKFC stemmed after the UFC middleweight labeled the promotion a "clown show" for letting "mentally ill" Diego Sanchez compete under their banner.

While the back-and-forth wasn't necessary, the 31-year-old did have a great point considering the martial arts pioneer was extremely outmatched in his fight. His opponent on the night was Austin Trout, a former WBC and WBA world champion who has won his last four outings inside the squared-circle.

Excluding the poor matchmaking for Sanchez's fight, BKFC did put together one of the most entertaining cards in its short history, with huge upsets, memorable moments, and a main event that will likely live on in the sport's history forever.

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Sean Strickland's impressive run at middleweight

Prior to life in the UFC, Sean Strickland was a seasoned middleweight with a championship under his belt, but after going 2-0 in the octagon, the brawler decided to try his luck at 170.

With a record of 5-3 at welterweight, the veteran had a change of heart and made his official return to his natural weight of 185lbs, winning five straight on his way to a number-one contender fight.

After succumbing to the power of Alex Pereira and losing a closely contested bout with Jared Cannonier, Strickland once again found his feet in the octagon, overwhelming prospect Nassourdine Imavov on short notice as he once again looks towards the top five in his division.