Sean Strickland opens up on challenges since winning UFC title: “It’s hard to go to Walmart these days”
UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland has had his life changed quite a lot in the last year.
‘Tarzan’ has been out of the octagon since his middleweight title shot in September. Facing Israel Adesanya in the main event of UFC 293, Sean Strickland shocked the world. He dominated ‘The Last Stylebender’, en route to a lopsided unanimous decision win. In the process, pulling off one of the biggest upsets in MMA history.
This Saturday night in Canada, Sean Strickland will look to make his first title defense. In the main event of UFC 297, he will defend the gold against the rising Dricus du Plessis. ‘Stillknocks’ earned the title shot with a knockout win over Robert Whittaker last July, and has been vicious in attacking the champion in the build.
Speaking in a recent interview with ESPN’s Megan Olivi, Sean Strickland opened up about the fight. There, the middleweight champion was asked if his life had changed since he won the title in September. He admitted that quite a lot had changed in his life since then. A lot of those changes were negative.
First and foremost, Sean Strickland is no longer able to spend as much time at Walmart as he would like. Speaking in the interview, the middleweight champion bemoaned the attention that he’s gotten since September. As it turns out, the UFC and Walmart have quite overlapping fanbases.
However, the champion added that he does make a lot more money now as well. Although, he doesn’t expect to get any sort of major sponsorship in the coming months. Ultimately, that’s something he can live with.
Sean Strickland opens up on newfound fame since winning UFC gold
“You know, it’s hard to go to Walmart these days.” Sean Strickland responded when asked how his life had changed since September. “I go to the Walmart, one of my favorite things to do was to go to Walmart like right before closing time. Just wander around and buy all the useless Chinese s*it I shouldn’t buy. But now, I’m a little bit too famous for Walmart.”
He continued, “Not a huge fan of that. That’s big-time f*cking famous. You’d be surprised by how many UFC fans go to Walmart… I make more money, right? [But] Reebok, Nike, they’re not going to come give me money. But, you know, I don’t toe the line man. I don’t toe the line man, I’ve got to be softer… [But] I don’t, it’s terrible.”
Sean Strickland’s comments about being ‘soft’ have likely hurt his sponsorship potential just a little bit. Earlier this week, the middleweight champion even threatened to stab Dricus du Plessis. ‘Stillknocks’ famously mocked the abuse that Strickland sustained at the hands of his father at their press conference last month.
What do you make of these comments? Are you excited for UFC 297? Who do you have in the middleweight title main event? Sean Strickland or Dricus du Plessis?
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