Former UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold has come out swinging after Sean Strickland’s dominating loss to Dricus du Plessis at UFC 312. Strickland, who lost his bid to become a two-time middleweight champion, suffered a broken nose in the fifth round of the fight and was forced to drop to 0-2 against current titleholder du Plessis.
Rockhold, who had previously been scheduled to face Strickland at UFC 268 but withdrew due to injury, took aim at Strickland’s toughness and willingness to put in a full performance. “If someone breaks your nose, you gotta fight like a man and sack up,” Rockhold said during an appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show. “This guy talks a big game, but he bailed out after breaking his nose.”
Strickland hasn’t yet responded to Rockhold’s scathing comments, but it’s clear that he’s facing backlash from fans and fellow fighters alike after the loss. With Strickland currently on a two-fight losing streak, he may face another title shot sooner rather than later. One potential matchup is against Israel Adesanya, who also lost his recent bout and has since ruled out retirement.
Despite the tension between Rockhold and Strickland, it’s unclear whether the two will ever meet in the Octagon again. However, a confrontation outside of it isn’t entirely off the table, given the strong emotions surrounding Strickland’s performance on Saturday night.
Source: https://bloodyelbow.com/2025/02/10/former-ufc-champ-slams-sean-strickland-for-b-out-after-ufc-312-nose-break