The Middleweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is seeing a lot of excitement with the upcoming title fight between champion Dricus du Plessis and former champion Israel Adesanya. Additionally, top contenders Robert Whittaker and Khamzat Chimaev are set to clash at UFC Saudia Arabia, possibly determining the next challenger for the title. This raises questions about where former champion Sean Strickland stands in the division.
Strickland recently secured a close win over Paulo Costa at UFC 302 and has expressed his desire to only compete for the title next, showing his willingness to bide his time for the opportunity. However, his manager Lance Spaude believes that Strickland’s busy fight schedule might lead him to reconsider his patient approach.
Spaude noted that Strickland has fought five times since 2023, with a solid 4-1 record, making him one of the most active Middleweights in the division. While Spaude thinks waiting for the title shot is a good strategy, he also admitted that Strickland might not hold out for long and could potentially agree to a fight if offered one at UFC 305 in August.
The dilemma for Strickland is finding suitable opponents if he opts not to wait for a title shot. The likely candidates include Dricus du Plessis, Israel Adesanya, and the increasingly active Robert Whittaker. Spaude believes that Strickland competing for the title in Las Vegas in December makes sense given the circumstances.
