“It is what it is” - Dana White responds to Sean Strickland’s claim that the UFC didn’t want him as champion

According to Sean Strickland, Dana White and the rest of the UFC brass are ruing the fact that he defeated Israel Adesanya at UFC 293 to become the middleweight champion.

Strickland is one of MMA's most controversial characters, having made numerous shocking statements, including that he would be overjoyed to take a man's life inside the cage.

'Tarzan' being the new face of the UFC middleweight division will make for a highly entertaining period for fans, but a potentially disastrous time for the promotion's public relations team.

During his press conference after UFC 293, Sean Strickland jokingly stated that Dana White was probably regretting his decision to organize the matchup with Adesanya.

The UFC president has now had a chance to respond to Strickland's comments and did not agree with the new middleweight champion's perspective. Following 'Dana White's Contender Series' (DWCS) 62 this week, White appeared in front of the media and said:

"Listen, it is what it is. We obviously put [Strickland] in that position, and he delivered and won the fight. He's the champ now, so, you know what you're getting when you get him. This is no surprise, no shock, yeah good for him. You could tell that night, after that first round, he would go back to his corner and maybe listen to his corner for 15 seconds and that was it. He was up and ready to go, he felt he was gonna win that night."

Watch the video below from 7:17:

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Dana White is considering other options ahead of a Sean Strickland vs. Israel Adesanya rematch

At the post-event press conference following UFC 293, Dana White shared his interest in organizing an immediate rematch between Sean Strickland and Israel Adesanya.

'Tarzan' entered the octagon as a +450 underdog, and his victory over Adesanya is being labeled as one of the biggest upsets in the sport's history.

However, it seems that after a few days of consideration, the UFC president may not follow through with his original idea.

In the aforementioned interview, Dana White was asked to share his thoughts on the future of the middleweight division. He said:

"I saw the stupid f***ing s**t that was written by all these stupid f***ing websites, never once did I say, 'Yes we're gonna f***ing do this rematch.' We'll see what happens, there's obviously lots of options out there." [8:29]