Former UFC Middleweight Champion Sean Strickland has been suspended for six months for jumping into the cage and attempting to attack a fighter at an MMA event back in June in Nevada. The suspension will last until December 29th; however, if Strickland completes an anger management course, the suspension can be reduced to 4.5 months. The course will have to be approved by the Nevada Athletic Commission, which handed Strickland the suspension.
Dallas Haun, the Nevada Athletic Commission chairman, praised Strickland for making the process easy. He said “(Strickland) apologised for his behaviour. We appreciate someone stepping up, owning something and then a resolution could be come to quickly and with all parties in agreement… He made a mistake, and he’s owned i,t and we appreciate that.”
The suspension is somewhat untimely for Strickland, as the Middleweight division is currently as competitive as it’s ever been. Strickland is currently ranked number three in the division, but that could very well change by the time he makes his return to the octagon. Dana White recently announced that the winner of either Nassourdine Imavov Vs. Caio Borralho or Reinier de Ridder Vs. Anthony Hernandez will be next for a title shot at Middleweight against Khamzat Chimaev, and with Dricus Du Plessis and Israel Adesanya still sitting towards the top of the division, it will be harder than ever to achieve a title shot a Middleweight.
Strickland’s Return Fight?
The state of play in the Middleweight division will likely be very different by the time that Strickland returns. One of the more likely bouts to return to would be a rematch against Israel Adesanya. Their first fight saw Strickland upset Adesanya to become the Middleweight champion. A rematch between the two would be fascinating. Strickland was able to shut down Adesanya’s offence and use his boxing to outclass him, so it would be interesting to see how Adesanya would adjust.
A fight against the winner of Reinier de Ridder Vs. Anthony Hernandez would also seem likely for Strickland. It seems likely that the winner of that fight will have to win at least one more time before fighting for the belt, and a fight against Strickland would make perfect sense. Both fighters would pose unique challenges to Strickland and present as exciting matchups.
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