Sean Strickland

Sean Strickland riled up Israel Adesanya so much during the UFC 276 presser, that it may have put in him next in line for a potential title shot.

I’m gonna go get me suits, I’m gonna get me a nice car. “After I beat Alex, you’re gonna see I’m a whole different guy. The number four-ranked Strickland (25-3) has been on a six-fight win streak beginning in 2018. Calm down!” Calm down. But there was one point during the affair when he riled up reigning champion Israel Adesanya so much that he may have just inadvertently earned himself a title shot.

Sean Zerillo breaks down Saturday's matchup between Sean Strickland and Alex Pereira at UFC 276 (T-Mobile Arena).

The UFC has rushed Pereira along in an attempt to set up a fight with Adesanya. And while Pereira is the more decorated striker, I’m not so confident that his abilities translate as well to MMA as some may suspect. Strickland is a former welterweight whereas Pereira could likely have size parity with the majority of light heavyweights. Strickland showed impressive offensive wrestling in his dominant main event win against Uriah Hall, taking him down four times on six attempts and spending seven minutes in control positions. However, there’s no guarantee that he will pursue an optimal game plan; otherwise, I would have bet more on him in this spot. I projected Strickland as close to a 55% favorite (-121 implied) in this fight and would bet his moneyline up to about -115 (as of this writing, the line is -125 or higher across most markets). Following a recent decision win over Jack Hermansson, the No. 4-ranked contender now has six consecutive UFC victories. 7/7/87 Orthodox Orthodox 185 lbs. 185 lbs.

At UFC 276, we have a mini middleweight tournament of sorts, as both the title and the number one contender spot are up for the taking. For the latter, Sean ...

Strickland will put his six fight win streak on the line against the former Glory kickboxing champion at UFC 276. Perhaps it is this experience which promoted Adesanya to tell Strickland to fight with his ego. At UFC 276, we have a mini middleweight tournament of sorts, as both the title and the number one contender spot are up for the taking.

Sean Strickland and Israel Adesanya were both present at the UFC 276 pre-fight press conference. Strickland had some words for both the UFC middleweight ...

The Brazilian is a two-division GLORY Kickboxing champion who has successfully transitioned to MMA. After an initial loss to Quemuel Ottoni, he has won all of his next five fights. In his last outing, the California native secured a victory against Jack Hermansson via split decision at UFC Fight Night: Hermansson vs. UFC 276 takes place this Saturday at the T-Mobile Arena and will be headlined by two title fights. Sean Strickland will face Alex Pereira in a middleweight bout this Saturday. ‘Tarzan’ is currently on a six-fight winning streak. Sean Strickland and Israel Adesanya were both present at the UFC 276 pre-fight press conference. I’m gonna go making suits, I’m making me a nice car.

It makes sense. Even if it was in kickboxing as opposed to MMA, Pereira has defeated the reigning middleweight champion, Israel Adesanya. Pereira may be ...

The problem with that is O’Malley’s spacing is going to make it difficult for Munhoz to close the distance for that to happen. Lawler has admitted to having difficulty finding the motivation to become the soul stealer that he was at his peak. Barberena never hit the peaks of Lawler, but he was just as happy to engage in a slugfest and endured ungodly damage in several of his fights, some of them even saw Barberena standing at the end. First, peak Lawler was so damned good, a shell of what he was is still capable of winning some fights in the UFC. Second, Bryan Barberena isn’t what he used to be either. The guess here is he knows what he can and can’t get away with against Pereira and realizes it’s better to make the point of winning and getting that chance of fighting for the belt rather than playing with fire. Top it all off with his incredible hand speed and power and O’Malley truly is a special talent. While Pereira has proven to be more defensively adept than many thought he would be, Strickland is easily the best wrestler he has faced. Even if it was in kickboxing as opposed to MMA, Pereira has defeated the reigning middleweight champion, Israel Adesanya. Pereira may be inexperienced in MMA – this will only be his seventh MMA fight – but he has taken to the sport well. Though a capable wrestler, he has been reluctant to take his opponents down despite some opportunities to do so. However, despite Strickland generally being a smart fighter, he has made some decisions that deserve to be questioned. I can’t blame the guy for wanting the most money for the easiest fights, but a step up was needed if he wanted to maintain his reputation. Plus, at 34, the UFC needs his evolution to be quick if they want to capitalize on the potential grudge match between Pereira and Adesanya. As for O’Malley, the UFC has padded his highlight reel by giving him underwhelming opposition.