Sean Strickland Fighting Style: Is Floyd Mayweather the Inspiration Behind the Ex-Middleweight Champ’s Stance?

When used correctly, the Philly shell is arguably one of the most effective stances in boxing. Despite George Benton being the boxer who popularised the stance in the 1950s, Floyd Mayweather Jr. was the boxer who perfected the stance, retiring as a boxer with a perfect 50-0 record, bringing its popularity to the modern era. So much so, that ex-UFC middleweight champ, Sean Strickland uses the stance.

Despite conventional boxing stances not being really effective in MMA, UFC middleweight champion, Sean Strickland managed to find success with the Philly shell inside the octagon. Many believe that Strickland took inspiration from ‘Money’ Mayweather himself. But how far is that from the truth? Let’s see how that style has fared for the former champion as he prepares to take on Paulo Costa at UFC 302.

Sean Strickland’s success with the Philly shell

The former middleweight champion never had any prior experience in martial arts. He only started training directly in MMA when he was 14 years old. But over the years, Sean Strickland developed great striking skills, excelled in the boxing department, and found amazing success with his Philly shell stance in MMA. He has fought 33 times inside the cage; he has won 28 of those fights, only losing 5, which is a very commendable record inside the cage.

Strickland boasts a respectable 62% significant strike defense, which ranks close to Khabib Nurmagomedov’s 65% and even surpasses Israel Adesanya’s 56%, whom he also beat to win the UFC middleweight strap. He has more fights than both the two elite MMA fighters, which makes his stats even more impressive.

The difference between the Philly Shell in Boxing and MMA

The Philly Shell looks quite similar in both MMA and Boxing. However, that can’t be further from the truth. The Philly shell was intended by boxers to fit in their style of sport. This is the reason why we see boxers use the stance more than MMA fighters.

So when moved to the sport of MMA, the fighter needs to make adjustments to the stance for it to work in MMA. While most fighters use the stance in some exchanges or a period of time, Sean Strickland is one fighter who made adjustments to the stance to make it his own.

Though exploited by some fighters, Sean Strickland’s very own MMA Philly shell has managed to become a puzzle most fighters can’t seem to solve. Even one of the best strikers in the sport of MMA, Israel Adesanya has failed to solve Strickland’s defense as he spent 25 minutes failing to land any real significant damage on Strickland.

Many people seem to believe that Strickland took inspiration from Mayweather for his stance, which might be true to some extent, given how Mayweather brought the Philly shell to a new level. However, Sean Strickland has not personally addressed that he took inspiration from the retired boxer.

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Given Strickland’s success with the Philly Shell, do you believe that other MMA fighters would find the same success in using the stance? Moreover, can he use that to win against Paulo Costa on June 1? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.

Also Read: Sean Strickland’s Coach Reveals Aftermath of Ugly UFC 296 Brawl With Dricus Du Plessis, Explains Champ’s Uncharacteristic Outburst