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Sean Strickland extended his winning streak to six in a row this past weekend. He defeated Jack Hermansson in the main event and has now set himself up for some big fights at the top of the middleweight division.
Strickland is undefeated since returning to middleweight and certainly appears ready to face some of the best in the division after his performance on Saturday. With that being said, it is currently very hard to predict what will be next for him given there are two huge fights at 185 lbs coming up this weekend.
At UFC 271, Israel Adesanya will defend his UFC middleweight championship against Robert Whittaker in the main event. The card also features another huge bout in the division as Jared Cannonier will take on Derek Brunson.
The results of those fights could drastically change the landscape of the middleweight division, which makes projecting Strickland's next opponent a difficult task.
With that being said, by considering how things may play out on Saturday and looking at the names of others at the top of the division, some names certainly seem to make more sense than others.
Here are five potential opponents for Sean Strickland after his latest win:
#5. Sean Strickland vs. Robert Whittaker
It's obviously much too soon to start thinking about this one since Robert Whittaker fights Israel Adesanya for the UFC middleweight title this Saturday. If Whittaker wins, that pair would most likely jump straight into a third fight against each other, if he were to lose, this Strickland vs. Whittaker fight would suddenly become a possibility.
As we have seen previously, if Whittaker loses to Adesanya, he will have to face a murderer's row of competition to get back into the title picture. Having him fight the streaking Strickland could just be the fight to start him along that journey.
With the winner of Jared Cannonier and Derek Brunson presumably being the favorite for the next title shot, Strickland might still have some way to go before entering the title picture. If that proves to be the case, taking on the man who would have just fought for the belt would likely be the next best thing.
#4. Sean Strickland vs. Jared Cannonier
As discussed earlier, Sean Strickland will have to play the waiting game and see how things pan out at UFC 271. A potential version of events could make Jared Cannonier the obvious choice for Strickland's next opponent.
While the winner of Derek Brunson and Jared Cannonier is expected to challenge for the title next, should Robert Whittaker win the main event, plans could change. The UFC would almost certainly book a third fight between Adesanya and Whittaker, which would leave the Brunson/Cannonier winner in limbo.
Brunson would likely try and sit on a title shot with a win. However, Cannonier seems more likely to be convinced into taking another fight after beating Brunson. He has spoken in the past about his financial difficulties and, as a result, is typically keen to remain active in the octagon.
In this scenario, a bout between Strickland and Cannonier would make perfect sense as it would become a number one contender fight in the middleweight division.
#3. Sean Strickland vs. Israel Adesanya
While we have suggested that the winner of Brunson and Cannonier is likely the favorite to become the next title challenger, the champion's preference could change everything. It would certainly not seem unlike Israel Adesanya to win on Saturday and throw us somewhat of a curveball by calling out Strickland.
In Adesanya's eyes, the controversial Strickland might be appealing as this fight could be easier to sell. The pair would be sure to have some interesting back-and-forths and you can imagine that could lead to plenty of attention from the media and the public.
In particular, the chance of this fight being next increases drastically in the event of a somewhat dull win for Derek Brunson on Saturday. Adesanya already has a win over Brunson and has stated his desire to face new challengers, so he could easily be tempted by the intriguing Strickland.
#2. Sean Strickland vs. Paulo Costa
Let us now consider the possibility that Sean Strickland will face a man not competing this Saturday. While most of the top middleweights will be in action, there remain some big names available that could make the most sense as the next step for Strickland.
Paulo Costa was an undefeated monster not so long ago, before losses to Israel Adesanya and Marvin Vettori brought him back down to earth. The weight issues Costa had in the fight with Vettori also led to many suggesting that Costa would be forced to compete in the light heavyweight division from now on.
If Costa is able to convince the UFC to let him stay at 185 lbs, you can be sure that he will not be gifted an easy opponent. With Strickland in the form of his life, he might be exactly the sort of opponent the UFC would come up with for Costa's last chance in the middleweight division.
#1. Sean Strickland vs. Marvin Vettori
Marvin Vettori is currently ranked No.2 in the division. He won his last fight and may not be all that far away from re-entering the title picture. While he and Sean Strickland may be friends, a fight between them certainly seems appropriate given where they each are in their respective careers.
Vettori has proven himself to be one of the best middleweights on the planet and it seems fair that any challenger rising up the ranks ought to prove they are better. There is the potential for the top of the middleweight division to become quite congested following Saturday, so this fight might make sense for the UFC.
Should Strickland win, he would likely have done enough to secure a title shot at a later date when there are not many fighters involved in that conversation. If Vettori were to win, he would likely still need one more victory before the UFC gave him a second shot at winning middleweight gold.
