"He's a bargain brand, sh**ty version" - Sean Strickland claims he has to beat Luke Rockhold to even have a shot to beat Israel Adesanya

Sean Strickland voiced his opinion on his upcoming fight with Luke Rockhold. The outspoken fighter spoke about Rockhold and believed that he no longer posed any threats to Strickland.

In an interview with The Schmo, Strickland compared Rockhold to the current middleweight champion, Israel Adesanya, and said:

"I mean he was a champion but it doesn't mean anything. I should beat Luke Rockhold. If I can't beat Luke Rockhold, I'll never best Adesanya. He's a very bargain brand, sh**ty version. So, if I can't beat him, I don't deserve to fight for the title."

Sean Strickland didn't mince words when speaking about Rockhold. Throwing some harsh words at the former middleweight champion, Strickland also said:

"You know man, Luke Rockhold is a f***ing c*nt and he deserves to go to sleep permanently, but he's a great fighter and he was a champion for a reason... but he'll never be a champion now. He's a f***ing c*nt but he's a great fighter... so I'm excited, I'm motivated."

Sean Strickland will face Luke Rockhold at UFC 268 at Madison Square Garden in New York. Rockhold has been out of action for over two years.

Luke Rockhold will face Sean Strickland in a middleweight bout at UFC 268 on Nov. 6, sources confirmed to @bokamotoESPN after an initial report by Aaron Bronsteter.Rockhold has not fought since his loss to Jan Blachowicz in July of 2019. pic.twitter.com/AG2vTXyp2e

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) August 4, 2021

The event will be headlined by the long-awaited welterweight championship rematch between champion Kamaru Usman and challenger Colby 'Chaos' Covington. Rose Namajunas is also set to face Zhang Weili in a UFC strawweight championship rematch.

UFC 268 is special 💯 pic.twitter.com/Onws9U2kjY

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) August 29, 2021

Watch Sean Strickland's full interview with The Schmo below:

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Luke Rockhold called Sean Strickland 'effective' and 'confident'

UFC Fight Night: Hall v Strickland

In a recent interview with MMA Junkie, former middleweight champion Luke Rockhold called Sean Strickland 'effective.' The 36-year old said that Strickland is effective is because he always comes forward to fight, exhibiting confidence in himself.

Watch the full interview below: (Time Stamp: 9:59)