Former middleweight champion Sean Strickland is all geared up for his upcoming UFC 302 fight. ‘Tarzan’ will be taking on Paulo Costa for the first time in his career. Both fighters are putting in the hard yards just weeks before their co-main event clash. One of Strickland’s biggest assets is his ground game, which he works on consistently during training. But after his recent social media post, it seems he needs to put in a lot more work. Let us take a look at what exactly happened in his last sparring session.
Most modern-day fighters use their social media platform to keep their fans aware of their training progress. However, there are not many who show their vulnerable side after a sparring session. Strickland, this time around, shared an honest update about his last sparring session. The post featured ‘Tarzan’ and Dustin Stoltzfus engaging in an intense grappling session. However, it seemed that the former champion struggled to make much impact against his partner. He wrote a caption which read, “Disgust and disappointment is the only thing going on in this picture.”
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Stoltzfus also competes in the middleweight division and is a teammate of Strickland. The 32-year-old holds a record of 15-5-0 in his career with one of the best ground games in the division. Most of his physical features are very similar to Paulo Costa, which would help the former champion during his main fight. This will be Strickland’s first appearance after his loss against Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 297. However, it seems that the former champion is desperate to win the belt back and is leaving no stone unturned in his preparation.
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With just two weeks left in the fight, the fans are super excited about the clash. However, it seems the Brazilian is yet to sign the contract as revealed by ‘Tarzan’.
Has Paulo Costa signed his UFC 302 contract yet?
Sean Strickland recently took to his Instagram to share a video regarding the status of his co-main fight. It seemed that the former champion wasn’t quite impressed by the Brazilian. According to him, ‘Borrachinha’ is yet to sign the contract for his next fight. In his signature irreverent fashion, Strickland uploaded a video on his social media with a message for the Brazilian. He said, “Goddamn Costa, I’ve heard you’ve yet to sign that contract. And I’ll tell you what, man, I didn’t f***ing believe it. I did not think you’d react like a coward. I thought you would man up, sack up, and instead, you’re acting like you’ve got ovaries.”
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Costa is, of course, famous for pulling out of fights and to date has walked out of five fights in his career. Strickland fears that he might just walk out of the fight this time as well. The 33-year-old urged the Brazilian to sign the contract and further added, “I did all the right things, gave you the benefit of the doubt. I’m not a Googler, but I noticed something man, after you fought Izzy, you went downhill. You sent deep my man. I don’t know what happened in that f***ing little pea brain you have. But let me tell you something, you’re being a weak f**ing man… Don’t disappoint me, don’t disappoint the fans, let me make you f**ing bleed.”
Not only the former champion, but the fans would also want to witness the battle. Will Paulo Costa turn up for his UFC 302 fight? Let us know in the comments below.