Sean Strickland has been riding a new wave of fame after his win against Abus Magomedov. Ever since this fight materialized, many fans and pundits expected Magomedov to win the exchanges on foot and on the ground. However, things went in an unexpected direction.
Although Magomedov had a good first round, Strickland caught up with a similar pace and out-struck him in the second. ‘Tarzan’ won the fight via a 2nd round TKO, and has been the center of the UFC spotlight since. From his controversial post-fight conference remarks to his callout for Israel Adesanya, everything he does is attracting attention.
Recently, Sean Strickland appeared on Joe Rogan’s podcast, and the two had an unfiltered conversation in signature ‘Tarzan’ style.
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Sean Strickland bashes Khabib Nurmagomedov’s manager Ali Abdelaziz
Ali Abdelaziz has been one of the most successful managers in the UFC. While having the experience of managing elite fighters like Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev, the man also brings out new talent to the promotion regularly. Interestingly, Strickland’s last opponent, Abus Magomedov is also managed by Abdelaziz.
Wow. Strickland tells Joe Rogan that Ali came to Xtreme Couture and watched him spar Vettori. A couple weeks later he asked for his client Abus to fight Sean.
“Managers shouldn’t be in the gym” pic.twitter.com/cNpko7XHd0
— Spinnin Backfist (@SpinninBackfist) July 6, 2023
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Appearing on the JRE MMA Hour Show #143, Strickland dropped a bombshell revelation about Abdelaziz’s questionable tactics to set up a fight between him and Magomedov. According to the UFC middleweight fighter, Abdelaziz came into his gym to watch him spar and decipher his style. Later, he introduced Magomedov and proposed a fight between them.
“He comes to the gym, he watches me spar Marvin Vettori. I don’t give a f*ck, Marvin’s a friend of mine, I am trying to help him. And 3 weeks later you pull this f*cking guy to fight me? You f*cking rat! You come watch me spar, and you pull this f*cking guy out of your hat? I don’t think managers should be in the gym.”
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In response, Rogan also agreed with the point Strickland made. Adding to that, the 55-year-old also mentioned how many elite gyms conduct training behind closed doors. What are your opinions on this matter? Does Ali Abdelaziz’s antics seem questionable to you? Do let us know in the comments section below.