The American said this at the press conference for UFC 297, mentioning undefeated Russian fighter Khabib Nurmagomedov in context.
“Unfortunately, I have to fight every day, but I wish we could do it like men – stand in the middle of the cage and chop until one of us falls asleep,” Strickland said. “We don’t need to fight. I’m not fucking Khabib. We’re here to fight.”
The UFC champion also promised that he would fight the challenger not for life, but for death, having made a corresponding agreement with the South African.
As a reminder, a middleweight title fight between Sean Strickland and Dricus Du Plessis will headline UFC 297 in Toronto, Canada on January 20.