Sean Strickland is exploring his options following his recent bout against Dricus du Plessis. He is now setting his sights on former welterweight champion Belal Muhammad, challenging him to follow through on previous calls for a fight.
Muhammad has been vocal in his criticism of Strickland for over a year, even labeling him a “coward” after Strickland`s loss to du Plessis at UFC 312. When asked about his potential next opponent, Strickland brought up Muhammad`s past trash talk, particularly noting that Muhammad recently lost his title to Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 315.
Strickland stated that a matchup with Muhammad “would be a fun one.” He directly challenged Muhammad, urging him to “sack up” and make the fight happen, referencing Muhammad`s previous taunts and their respective recent defeats.
Strickland insisted that the fight would need to take place at middleweight, as he is currently around 230 pounds and will not cut back down to welterweight. He reminded Muhammad of his prior claims about being willing to move up in weight, using strong, provocative language.
Strickland`s record currently stands at two losses in his last three fights (both against du Plessis) since his significant title win over Israel Adesanya at UFC 293 in September 2023. The 34-year-old is eager to return to action.
He mentioned that he had been interested in a fight against Reinier de Ridder after de Ridder`s victory over Bo Nickal at UFC Des Moines. However, de Ridder is already scheduled to face Robert Whittaker.
Strickland also revealed that he was offered a fight against another top-ranked middleweight opponent but ultimately declined it, stating that the opponent also declined the offer according to his understanding. Strickland clarified that the potential opponent was likely Caio Borralho, explaining that he turned down the fight due to a personal connection with Borralho and his family, which he found awkward.
He reiterated his preference for the de Ridder fight, describing it as a potentially “great one” and noting de Ridder`s jiu-jitsu background and recent win.
