Sean Strickland may not have punched any Australian fans in the build to this Sunday’s UFC Sydney title blockbuster – however he has drawn his gun on a “crackhead” who threatened his life.
UFC 312: Du Plessis v Strickland 2 | SUN 9 FEB | UFC middleweight king Dricus du Plessis is headed back Down Under for yet another title defence, with the South African set to face Sean Strickland in a blockbuster UFC 312 headliner in Sydney. | Order Now with Main Event on Kayo Sports. Main Event on Kayo Sports and Foxtel is the exclusive home of UFC Pay-Per-View.
It comes as the American fighter has also opened up to Fox Sports Australia about being mentioned in State parliament, losing “half my paycheque” in taxes and those chilling revelations from his rival, UFC middleweight champ Dricus du Plessis, about being “willing to kill a man in front of his family” for their impending title showdown.
Little more than a year after winning UFC gold from Israel Adesanya in a huge Sydney upset, Strickland is now once again back in the Harbour City as a challenger.
This time however, the polarising 33-year-old will be rematching u Plessis, who took the strap from him at UFC 297 last January.
And it was during that last crazy visit Down Under where Strickland created a whole range of headlines, which included assaulting a fan on the streets in Bondi — which, in turn, saw UFC boss Dana White fly in to attend the event late — and then get mentioned in NSW parliament due to his contentious views on a variety of topics, including women and the LGTBQ community.
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Speaking with Fox Sports Australia in October however, when a Strickland return was first mooted, Premier Chris Minns — who is a keen MMA fan and huge supporter of the sport — stressed his government had no intention of banning Strickland from their ongoing $16 million UFC deal.
However, Mr Minns quickly added: “You’re entitled to be an adult, and enjoy a sport, without subscribing to everything one of the athletes says or does.”
With White now said to be flying into Sydney this week for the event, Strickland has shrugged off the fan altercation that made headlines in his last visit, while also admitting to a far more intense altercation near his Las Vegas home during fight camp.
Quizzed on exactly how much the punch had been overplayed last time here, Strickland laughed: “I’m just used to America.
“I mean, you leave your house at home, there’s a chance you’re getting into a gunfight.
“But here?
“It’s not scary.
“Here, you guys are soft.
“What are you guys going to do? Argue about kangaroos?
“But America, it’s a little different.
“It’s scary.
“Only the other day I pulled my gun on a guy …”
Huh?
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“It was some crazy crackhead,” continued Strickland, who is famed for his weapons collection and has previously held an alleged criminal at gunpoint outside his own home.
“This guy, h came up to my (car) window, threatening my life.
“So I was ‘OK, so what sir?’
“And rightly so.
“The guy threatened my life.”
Elsewhere, Strickland also shrugged off du Plessis’s chilling revelation about being willing to kill a man in front of his family.
Speaking on the podcast of popular Australian businessman Mark Bouris this week, DDP revealed his ruthless fight approach, stating: “When I go in there, if the ref doesn’t stop it, I’m not stopping.
“I can be sitting on you for 10 minutes bashing your face, and if the ref doesn’t say stop, I’m not stopping.”
At which point, the UFC champ then posed a question.
“Am I still willing to die?” du Plessis continued. “Absolutely. That’s easy.
“It is, are you willing to kill a man in front of his family?
“Yes, I am, and that’s why I’m the world champion, because I say yes to that question every single time.”
Strickland, however, wasn’t fussed?
“Everyone makes such a big deal of killing someone,” he shrugged.
“Killing someone isn’t the problem … getting away with it is the problem.”
Soon after, he continued: “The scariest man in the world is one with nothing, because he has nothing to lose.
“I know Hells Angels and I’m like ‘dude you have a $30,000 Harley, a $100,000 truck, you’re paying a mortgage with a wife and two kids … you think I’m scared of you?’.
“Do you think he’s going to pull a gun out and spend the rest of his life in a cage?
“He’s not doing that.
“The scary guy is that little Mexican in front of 7 Eleven looking at you weird.
“The guy who stands five foot tall.
“That’s the guy who smokes you because he has nothing to lose.”
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Given the headlines he created during his Australian debut in late 2023, Strickland admits to thinking he was in fact banned from ever fighting in Australia again – and wishes that were the case given he will lose “half” his purse in taxes.
Quizzed on his being mentioned in parliament during that first trip, Strickland said his views on various issues had effectively been used by the Opposition to criticise the NSW Government for its spend on bringing UFC fights to Australia.
“But people got real upset and were using me as ‘he’s why you shouldn’t vote for this party’,” he said.
“That was the issue.”
Speaking with Fox Sports Australia on the issue when a Strickland return was being mooted last October however, Mr Minns stressed that his government had no intention of banning the American.
“Firstly, it’s important to say we wouldn’t block it,” he stressed of the fight.
“The second thing I’d say is that I’m a fight fan, I like the UFC.
“But this idea that we’re supposed to endorse all the stupid things fighters say or we can’t enjoy the sport , it’s absolutely ridiculous.
“You’re entitled to be an adult, and enjoy a sport, without subscribing to everything one of the athletes says or does.”
UFC 312: Du Plessis v Strickland 2 | SUN 9 FEB | UFC middleweight king Dricus du Plessis is headed back Down Under for yet another title defence, with the South African set to face Sean Strickland in a blockbuster UFC 312 headliner in Sydney. | Order Now with Main Event on Kayo Sports. Main Event on Kayo Sports and Foxtel is the exclusive home of UFC Pay-Per-View.
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