Sean Strickland had the chance to reclaim the middleweight glory but ultimately came up short at UFC 312. Inside the Qudos Bank Arena, he battled reigning gold standard Dricus Du Plessis for five grueling rounds. Despite suffering a broken nose in the fourth, the American pushed forward but ultimately lost via unanimous decision. Entering the fight with a strategy of applying “more pressure, less skill,” ‘Tarzan’s plan flunked as the South African native secured the win.

With this loss, Strickland now drifts further from title contention with mounting criticism for not backing up his bold claims. Many fans have mocked his “weird yet unique” fighting style, with Robert Whittaker once even likening it to “a brother and sister fighting.” The MMA community hasn’t exactly embraced Strickland’s approach to selling fights. He goads his opponents into all-out wars, only for the actual fight to unfold as a near-carbon copy of his signature defensive striking—a style reminiscent of Floyd Mayweather’s calculated and defensive approach to boxing.

Recently, former fighter and cage-side analyst Din Thomas called out the ex-champ, pulling no punches in his assessment, “We just have to admit it now. Sean Strickland is not who he says he is. He’s not the guy who’s going to go ‘to the death! To the death!’ He didn’t go to the death. He didn’t even go deep. I’m not saying he’s not a great fighter. I’m not saying he doesn’t deserve to be where he’s at. But he’s not who he says he is. We’ve got to admit that.”

Fans have been just as ruthless, likening Strickland’s trash talk to the chaotic energy of Trevor from GTA V—while his actual fighting style is more in line with Lester. As always, the internet remains undefeated. However, former featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski came to the American’s defense despite the loss, “Sean (Strickland) never stopped trying to play his game,” said ‘The Great’ via his YouTube channel.

He continued, “He was always going to fight his style, so I knew Sean wouldn’t make adjustments. He was just going to stick to what he does because he’s always been pretty effective with it—and there’s nothing wrong with that. You know he does a million rounds, right? You can imagine the hours of sparring because it seems like he spars every day. The hours of him just sparring, sparring, sparring—that’s what he does all the time. So, it might be hard for him to change those habits.”

The American’s intense sparring routine has been a major talking point in the MMA community. UFC veteran Matt Brown highlighted this issue even before UFC 312, questioning whether Sean Strickland’s heavy reliance on sparring was hindering his overall growth. Brown argued that despite constant training, ‘Tarzan’ struggles to improve in other key aspects of his game, stating, “There’s a lot of advantages. But you don’t evolve that way.” However, Strickland’s training partners have a different perspective. Let’s dive deeper.

Chris Curtis opens up about Sean Strickland’s unorthodox style

“There are guys who come along in fighting, particularly with styles so weird and unique, that you go, ‘Do you know who Sean Strickland is?’” UFC commentator Joe Rogan once famously remarked on his podcast, highlighting Strickland’s unconventional fighting approach. Throughout his decade-long MMA career, the American’s unorthodox style has set him apart. Known for his relentless pressure and unusual striking technique, he has left many analysts and MMA pundits baffled by his ability to succeed at the highest level.

Despite doubts about his approach, Strickland has consistently silenced critics by defeating top-tier opponents, including Israel Adesanya, Abus Magomedov, and Nassourdine Imavov. One of his biggest triumphs came in 2023 when he shocked the MMA world by dethroning Adesanya at UFC 293. Entering as an underdog, ‘Tarzan’ secured a dominant decision victory, defying expectations. While some attributed the result to an off night for Adesanya, many still praised Strickland for executing a flawless game plan.

Providing further insight into Strickland’s distinctive style, his training partner and UFC middleweight contender Chris Curtis shared his thoughts on The MMA Hour: “Everything he (Sean Strickland) does is, on paper, wrong. It’s not the way you’re supposed to move. He moves weird, he throws weird, he kung fu blocks—he’s really good at shutting down the things you’re supposed to be good at. You hear at one point Izzy say, ‘I can’t find my jab.’ It’s hard to find your jab against Sean because he creates so much random traffic with his jab, or when you start jabbing, he’s parrying weird, he’s kung fu blocking.”

How did you rate Sean Strickland’s performance at UFC 312 yesterday against Dricus Du Plessis? Do you think he fought at his full potential, or was there more he could have done? If they run it back, do you see the American avenging his loss, or will ‘Stillknocks’ get the better of him again? Share your thoughts below!