Former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley believes Sean Strickland effectively played his role leading up to UFC 328, despite the blurred lines between genuine animosity and staged drama. In an exclusive interview, Woodley explained that Strickland’s consistent outspokenness changes how his trash talk is perceived, and that the ensuing chaos and buzz were sufficient to promote the event.
Tyron Woodley on Sean Strickland after UFC 328: โHeโs almost become uncancellableโ
Woodley’s assessment of Strickland was direct. “Strickland is Strickland. He’s become a very memeable person. He likes attention, and he got a little loose. He’s kind of a filterless figure in the sport where you can say stuff like that, especially when he’s almost become uncancellable because he says so many ridiculous things all the time,” Woodley stated in an exclusive interview with LowKick MMA. He further elaborated that fans don’t react as strongly to Strickland’s controversial statements as they would to a fighter who rarely steps out of line and then suddenly does so.
Woodley felt the pre-fight build-up benefited the event. “You expect it, and you don’t hold him to the same standard as somebody who never says anything out of line and then suddenly says something crazy. So I feel like he did what he was supposed to do. And if it’s good enough, we’ll forget that they trained together and that they were laughing. As long as the mix-up is fun and entertaining, that’s what matters. I think they made it fun and entertaining. They did what they should do for the fight,” he said. His core point is that the narrative succeeded because it kept audiences engaged.
Former UFC champion on Sean Strickland after UFC 328: โHe likes attentionโ
The UFC 328 main event saw Sean Strickland reclaim the middleweight title in Newark by defeating Khamzat Chimaev via split decision. Strickland secured the win on two scorecards (48-47), while Chimaev took the third by the same margin. The tension leading up to the fight was palpable and spilled into the public sphere, with Strickland making offensive and racially charged remarks. The lead-up also included a heated press conference and an incident where Chimaev kicked Strickland earlier in fight week. However, the bout concluded with a display of sportsmanship, as Chimaev draped the belt around Strickland’s waist post-decision.
The narrative of the fight worked because both fighters understood how to capitalize on fight week drama. Strickland has a history of using provocation to sell fights, and this instance escalated to a point where some observers viewed even the animosity as part of a performance. Woodley’s perspective is that the authenticity of the emotions was secondary to the fact that the final product was entertaining and memorable.
