Sean Strickland, known for his toughness in MMA gyms, recently praised Mike Perry after their sparring session sparked widespread attention online. The viral footage showed Strickland impressed by Perry’s ability to absorb heavy shots without backing down, highlighting the intensity between the two fighters. Strickland openly admitted that Perry proved to be a tougher opponent than himself during their exchange.
In a video posted on his Instagram story, Strickland said,
“The reason why I f— with Mike Perry so much, he is a f—— savage,”
emphasizing Perry’s relentless forward pressure. He recalled that despite landing multiple heavy shots on Perry, the BKFC ‘King of Violence’ continued to advance, unshaken by the punishment. Strickland noted,
“Mind you, he’s not running away from me, he’s coming f—— forward and eating every ounce of these shots.”
Further underlining Perry’s grit, Strickland commented,
“There’s some guys, and Perry is one of them, they will f—— die just to land one punch on you.”
Concluding his thoughts, he said plainly,
“The guy is a f—— savage. Way f—— tougher than me.”
Strickland Sets Sights on Belal Muhammad Following UFC 312 Defeat
Having recently experienced a setback, Strickland lost to middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis at UFC 312 in February, where du Plessis delivered a convincing unanimous decision, severely damaging Strickland’s nose. Instead of immediately targeting a title rematch, Strickland appears focused on a different path by considering a fight in the welterweight division.
He identified Belal Muhammad as a promising opponent, expressing eagerness for the matchup during an interview with Helen Yee. Strickland challenged Muhammad directly, saying,
“I mean, Belal [Muhammad] would be a fun fight, that’d be a fun one.”
He urged Muhammad to stop avoiding the fight, adding,
“Belal, you should finally sack up, dog. This is it, you can finally stack the f— up, dude, all that s— you talked, we can finally make it happen.”
Strickland also pointed out their mutual setbacks, stating,
“You lost your belt, you kind of got f—– up. I got f—– up, we should make that fight happen, Belal.”
He repeated his challenge,
“That would be a good one, right? You can come up to middleweight. He said he would [come up to middleweight]. All that s— he talked on Instagram like ‘I’m gonna come fight you, I’m gonna do this’, now you can you p—-.”
However, Belal Muhammad has since shifted his focus by calling out Kamaru Usman, leaving Strickland’s search for his next opponent and path to a comeback still open.
Implications for Sean Strickland’s Career and UFC Landscape
Sean Strickland’s public praise of Mike Perry shakes up perceptions of both fighters, especially as it highlights Perry’s toughness beyond his BKFC reputation. This candid acknowledgment reveals mutual respect and may influence future matchups or rivalries within the UFC and combat sports communities.
Meanwhile, Strickland’s targeting of Belal Muhammad signals his ambition to remain relevant across weight classes, seeking opportunities in the welterweight division after his middleweight challenges. With Muhammad now pursuing a bout against Kamaru Usman, Strickland’s immediate plans remain uncertain, though his focused attitude suggests he will continue pushing for significant fights as he aims to rebuild momentum after UFC 312.