“Let me take a fu—ng pint of blood out in your eye and let me see how you’re feeling.” It’s secure to say that subtlety has by no means been Sean Strickland’s robust go well with. Shedding a title battle stings, however shedding it in a razor-close cut up determination? That’s the type that’ll hold even the hardest fighters up at evening. And ‘Tarzan’ nonetheless hasn’t let go of what occurred at UFC 297, the place Dricus Du Plessis walked away with the belt. In line with the previous champ, a headbutt turned the entire battle the other way up which was his to win.
However whereas he’s busy rehashing the previous, UFC legend Daniel Cormier has stepped in with just a little actuality verify. Is ‘Tarzan’ making a degree, or simply making excuses? Cormier has seen all of it, wars within the cage, brutal knockouts, and razor-thin selections. So, when Strickland began beating the ‘I used to be robbed’ drum, the UFC veteran determined it was time for a actuality verify. “There was a headbutt within the first battle that Sean Strickland stated modified the trajectory of the battle,” Cormier pointed out during a chat with Chael Sonnen in Good Guy/Bad Guy. “He stated that it made it harder for him to compete the way in which he did.”
Honest sufficient. Blood within the eye isn’t precisely superb. However then got here Strickland’s signature model of insistence. “You took a spherical from me is as a result of I couldn’t see…the world is aware of I received that battle.” Cormier’s response? “He’s [Sean] harping on it an excessive amount of, at the least in my view.” So, what’s DC getting at right here? There’s a distinction between acknowledging a nasty break and letting it outline your total narrative. Look, ‘Tarzan’ didn’t get steamrolled. He set a divisional title battle report, touchdown 173 important strikes.
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Even Dana White thought the American received, “Three rounds to 2, I had Strickland profitable.” So, was it an outright theft? Or did Strickland merely lose the optics battle? And the previous champ can argue about unhealthy luck all he needs, however his coach, Eric Nicksick, has a unique take. As a substitute of crying over spilled blood, Nicksick is what ought to have been accomplished otherwise.
What occurs to Sean Strickland’s sob story if his personal nook isn’t shopping for it?
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Talking on The MMA Hour, the Xtreme Couture head honcho revealed the tweaks that might’ve swung the battle in Strickland’s favor. “Win just a little bit extra of the optics battle,” he defined. “Sean is dying by 1,000 paper cuts relating to the jab, proper? However typically, judges have to see selection.” Principally, Jabs are nice, however combine it up, man.
Nicksick revealed that Strickland’s camp had drilled teeps (push kicks) to disrupt Du Plessis’ ahead strain, however guess what? He didn’t use them sufficient. “Even when it was only a kick to the physique or teep, it acquired away from dying by 1,000 paper cuts by way of jabs.” In different phrases, just a little extra variety in placing may’ve swayed the judges as a substitute of leaving them hypnotized by the identical approach again and again.
So, what’s the takeaway? Strickland remains to be one of many hardest guys within the division, but when he needs that belt again, he would possibly wish to focus much less on the headbutt and extra on what he may have accomplished higher. As a result of as a lot as all of us love conspiracy, typically the best rationalization is the fitting one, he simply acquired outworked within the eyes of the judges.
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As a result of right here’s the factor, whereas he was piecing up ‘Stillknocks’ along with his signature Philly shell boxing method, the South African was bringing the injury. That’s what the judges noticed. A bloody mess. A battle that appeared like Du Plessis was the aggressor. And judges don’t get a slow-motion replay of what’s really efficient.
They go by what seems dominant in actual time. Strickland’s strikes had been including up, certain. However the present champ? He was making it depend the place it mattered. And now as for DC? He’s not right here for the justifications. What do you assume? Would the end result have been totally different if not for the blinding conflict? Tell us your ideas within the feedback beneath!