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Chael Sonnen has given his thoughts on the upcoming matchup between Jack Hermansson and Sean Strickland.
Hermansson and Strickland will meet in a middleweight showdown that could offer up some interesting answers for the 185-pound division ahead of next weekend's UFC 271 title fight. Both men are coming off wins in their previous bouts and will be looking to take a giant step closer to a championship opportunity.
Sonnen, a former UFC middleweight title challenger himself, has given his thoughts on what's going to transpire when Hermansson and Strickland collide. 'The American Gangster' said:
“Guys, I’m taking Strickland - but, there’s a real but - you just don’t know how good Jack is. In all fairness, you really don’t. Some of you go ‘Chael I do, he’s great’, you don’t.”
Sonnen went on to list a few of Hermansson’s nicest wins but ultimately determined that Strickland, who he’s trained with in the past, has the edge. He added:
“If Sean knows that Jack is good enough on the ground that Sean needs to focus on that for a period of time, and that’s all you need to know, then Jack is a live dog, very much so.”
Watch Chael Sonnen break down the upcoming Hermansson vs. Strickland fight below:
The form of Jack Hermansson and Sean Strickland
Jack Hermansson has had a slightly more turbulent journey over the last few years as opposed to Sean Strickland. 'The Joker' is 2-2 in his last four outings. However, his wins over Kelvin Gastelum and Edmen Shahbazyan confirmed that he's still a live contender in the middleweight division.
Strickland, meanwhile, is riding a five-fight winning streak, including an impressive performance against Uriah Hall last July.
They'll serve as the main event of this weekend's card and even though they've both been in this position in the past, the stakes feel a bit higher this time around.
Israel Adesanya, the reigning middleweight champion, and Robert Whittaker, the No.1 contender, are set to lock horns in a rematch at UFC 271 next week. The victor of the Hermansson vs. Strickland bout will undoubtedly be keeping a close eye on the championship fight.
