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Chael Sonnen believes that Sean Strickland is trying to “convince” people that he’s crazy, despite actually being a great guy.
Sean Strickland is considered by many to be a UFC middleweight with some real potential behind him in the top 15. However, as revealed in an interview a few weeks back, he also appears to have some demons.
The 30-year-old spoke with Ariel Helwani about how he had a neo-Nazi phase in his youth. He also went on to say he’s had fantasies about committing murder.
MMA fans have been split on the issue, with some suggesting it’s legitimately concerning, whereas others feel like it’s all an act. Chael Sonnen, a man known for getting folks riled up with what he says, believes that Sean Strickland falls into the latter of those two categories. In a video uploaded to his YouTube channel, Sonnen said:
“Sean Strickland is one of my favorite guys in the sport and one of my favorite guys I have ever met. One of the most positive experiences I ever had with a training partner, who I’m going to trust with my body, is Sean Strickland. He wants you all to think he’s out of his mind. Sean is going after the crazy market which I didn’t know was a thing...
“I do feel compelled to come out and tell you guys, even in spite of Sean working very hard to capture the, 'Ah I’m a lunatic,' I feel compelled to tell you, no he’s not. He’s a great guy!”
Catch Chael Sonnen's take on Sean Strickland in the video below:
What’s next for Sean Strickland?
Sean Strickland is currently riding a five-fight win streak and is positioned at No.7 in the middleweight rankings. With that in mind, it feels pretty obvious to suggest he’ll be getting a big fight at 185-pounds very soon.
He was scheduled to be in a featured spot at UFC 268 earlier this month. Unfortunately for him, his rival and opponent Luke Rockhold was forced to pull out of the contest through injury
However, if there’s anyone who is ready to get back in there and do some damage, it’s Sean Strickland.
