SUMMARY
- Speaking to Daniel Cormier, Strickland touched on numerous topics.
- During the conversation, DC's attention was drawn by the left ear of Strickland.
Sean Strickland is all set to make his first title defense at UFC 297 in a couple of days. As is the case on fight week, he has had numerous sit-downs and interviews with the media and other personalities. Among them was his interview with UFC legend Daniel Cormier.
Speaking to the former fighter-turned-commentator, Strickland touched on numerous topics. Be it his changed lifestyle after championship fame or stealing from Walmart, the two had a very interesting conversation. Amid their talks about fighting, Cormier brought up Sean’s sparring tendencies and the injuries he would take while training.
During the conversation, DC‘s attention was drawn by the left ear of Strickland. “Your cauliflower (ear) is like something to behold. Holy sh*t, is that thing about to bust?” Further, he added, “That’s like wrestling in the Olympic-level cauliflower right there”.
Sean’s puffed-up ear has seemingly become permanent owing to his regular sparring sessions. Here, he reveals that he has been putting in significant work alongside Bellator Middleweight Champion, Johnny Eblen.
Sean Strickland has a history of hard sparring
For those unaware, ‘Tarzan‘ has a history of hard sparring. Owing to his nature and the way he was brought up, Strickland prioritizes sparring over anything. According to the Middleweight Champ, his way of sparring allows him to mentally prepare for anything that may happen during an actual fight.
Thus, taking an absolute lick from his sparring partners allows him to be fearless come fight night. Over the years, the fans have seen many clips of Strickland sparring, sometimes rather irresponsibly as well. Previously, we have seen him sparring with pro boxers, internet trolls, other fighters, and sometimes even three or four people at once. Despite what many may have to say about it, Sean has always been a caring person.
Sparring Sean Strickland is insane pic.twitter.com/HXOIISxBQa
— Bloody Elbow (@BloodyElbow) October 20, 2023
Although he is an accomplished UFC fighter, he often takes the time to take extra caution against newcomers or people he is better than. As such, he has developed close friendships with his coach, Eric Nicksick, and fellow middleweight Chris Curtis in the process. Notably, he also reprimanded Khamzat Chimaev for going full throttle against his sparring opponents as well.
Sean Strickland’s injuries ahead of UFC 297
Sean Strickland will be going in for the most important fight of his life at UFC 297. Whilst many did not expect him to win against Adesanya at UFC 293, this time, the onus is on him. Moreover, given the storylines surrounding him and Dricus du Plessis in the lead-up to the fight, there are a lot of fans rooting for Strickland.
In addition to his antics, Sean has seemingly pi**ed off the LGBTQ community with some of his comments during the media day. Whilst the UFC or the MMA community are not fazed by it in the slightest, certain sections have taken a lot of offense to his comments. Thus, there is a lot riding on him to win this fight. Recently, in a video with Nina Marie-Danielle, many couldn’t help but notice Sean’s injuries.
Despite looking in the best shape of his life, Sean could be seen bleeding from his ear during the video. Moreover, there are visible cuts on his face as well. Whilst this may not affect his performance overall, it has become a cause for concern for some fans. Whether his bruises and underlying injuries will play a part in his performance, only time will tell.