Midnight Roundup! Sean Strickland's political ambitions, Michael Chandler talks Conor McGregor, Tom Aspinall's Stipe Miocic revelation, and more

Just a few days removed from the explosive UFC 297 event this past weekend, Sean Strickland shocked the MMA world by announcing a potential political run in the future. This news comes just days after his former rival, Dricus du Plessis, took a strong political stand against the South African government.

Stay up to date with the latest news updates with Sportskeeda's Midnight Roundup.

Sean Strickland teases political pursuit post-retirement after UFC 297 title loss

Just days after Sean Strickland lost the UFC middleweight championship to Dricus du Plessis, 'Tarzan' took to social media to announce a potential public office campaign in the future. The 32-year-old American is known for his outspoken nature and isn't afraid of voicing his opinions on sensitive social issues.

From feminism and the LGBTQ+ community to gun rights and censorship, Strickland has never shied away from making himself heard, even if it means dealing with widespread controversies afterward.

In a recent post on X, Strickland shared his post-retirement plans and wrote:

"After I'm done fighting in a few years and I'm sitting on a big pile of money, I probably will run for some public office position... I'll never win, but I'd rather do something I care about instead of starting a CBD company lmao."

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Michael Chandler believes "quitter" Conor McGregor can't handle pressure

Michael Chandler doesn't expect Conor McGregor to push him to his limits. The former Bellator lightweight champion recently discussed a potential fight against the Irishman and dismissed the idea of the fight going beyond the second round.

Chandler previously predicted that he'd tire McGregor in the first round before going for a knockout in the second. Sticking to his prediction, 'Iron' recently explained why 'The Notorious' wasn't a major threat anymore.

Speaking on the Bussin' With The Boys podcast, Chandler said:

"Fact of the matter is, he's not going to be able to move like the Conor of old... He's going to be slower, he's going to be sloppier. He's going to be less motivated, especially at 185 [pounds]... Conor McGregor is a quitter, especially when the pressure gets put on him... Ultimately, it's just one big facade... Conor McGregor will quit in the second round of this fight."

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Tom Aspinall reveals Stipe Miocic rejected UFC 300 fight offer in favor of Jon Jones matchup

Tom Aspinall recently went on a social media tirade and revealed that he was offered a fight against Stipe Miocic for the milestone UFC 300 event. However, it appears Miocic wasn't interested and rejected the proposal in favor of a future Jon Jones fight.

The reigning interim heavyweight champion has been calling for a title unification fight against Jones for a while now, and the two have even exchanged some unsavory words on social media. He later began calling out Miocic for a potential fight but to no avail due to the two longtime veterans of the sport being keen on a legacy fight against each other.

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Aspinall later seemed to concede defeat and wished the two heavyweights well for their fight against each other. In a recent post on X, he wrote:

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Ariel Helwani shares update on Josiah Harrell's brain surgery

Ariel Helwani recently shared an important update on UFC fighter Josiah Harrell, who underwent brain surgery yesterday. Harrell was diagnosed with Moyamoya, a rare cerebrovascular brain disease, just days before his UFC 290 debut against Jack Della Maddalena last July.

Moyamoya is generally classified as a chronic and progressive condition of the arteries in the brain. It causes a narrowing of blood vessels that leads to blockages and can eventually cause strokes, aneurysms, and seizures.

Harrell went under the knife yesterday at the Stanford Health Care Center in California. In a recent post on X, Helwani reported that Harrell had a successful 8-hour brain surgery and wrote:

"Josiah Harrell, the fighter who signed to fight JDM on short notice in July but was then ruled out due to a rare brain disease that was revealed during the pre-fight MRI, just had surgery on his brain. The operation, I’m told, took 8 hours. He’ll be in the ICU for a bit, which has obviously paused his fighting and work career."

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Read more about Harrell's condition here.

Robert Whittaker settles debate around Dricus du Plessis vs. Sean Strickland title fight result

Robert Whittaker doesn't understand the fan frenzy around Dricus du Plessis winning the split decision over Sean Strickland in their middleweight title fight at UFC 297 last weekend.

The former 185-pound champion recently shared his thoughts on du Plessis' title win and explained why the South African fighter deserved to win. He said:

"Congratulations to Dricus... He goes out on his shield. He's not going to go away. He will not give up... He wanted it more... I thought he won that fight."

Catch Robert Whittaker's comments below (10:40):

Brendan Schaub emotionally cancels tour dates due to baby daughter's health issues

Former UFC heavyweight contender and stand-up comic Brendan Schaub recently announced that he has been forced to cancel his tour dates due to his baby daughter suffering some serious health problems.

Schaub and his wife, Joanna Schaub, welcomed their third child, a daughter named Billie Isabel Schaub, last November. Unfortunately, the child has been in and out of the hospital for the past two months due to her illness.

'Big Brown' recently took to social media to reveal that his child was once again admitted to the hospital. Announcing that he's canceling his tour dates in Nashville and Austin, he said: