‘If they ever let me back in’: Strickland begging for return to Australia
Ahead of Sean Strickland’s huge fight at UFC 302, the company’s most controversial fighter told BRENDAN BRADFORD there’s only one thing stopping his Australian return, being let in.
He’s the gun-toting, Donald Trump-supporting, loud-mouthed former middleweight champion of the world, and Sean Strickland says he’d love to fight in Australia again.
If he’s ever allowed back in the country.
The controversial American fighter, who takes on Brazil’s Paulo Costa at UFC 302 this weekend, also hit out at longtime rival Colby Covington and weighed in on whether besieged former president Trump would be cageside this weekend.
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Just hours after landing in Australia for his UFC 293 fight with Israel Adesanya last year, Strickland caused an uproar by punching a fan in the stomach.
Despite the negative publicity, the 33-year-old was a fan favourite.
“I like Australia, man,” Strickland told this masthead three days before his showdown with Costa in New Jersey. “It was probably one of the best audiences and crowds as far as fight fans go.
“And, not even my fans, just fight fans in general. Australia is an amazing place.
“I think the reason I resonate with people in Australia is that my message is simple: I want you to be taxed less and have more freedom of speech.”
A win over Costa this weekend will see Strickland edge closer to another shot at the middleweight title after he controversially lost it by split decision to Dricus du Plessis in January.
Du Plessis is expected to defend the belt against Adesanya at UFC 305 in Perth in August.
Aussie Robert Whittaker is in a number one contender bout against Khamzat Chimaev in June, but if anything happens, Strickland is ready and willing to step in.
Even if that means another long flight Down Under.
“If they let me back into the country,” he said. “I don’t know if they will, but I have nothing bad to say about Australia, sign me up.
“To the death, let’s go. I’ve gotta fight the Brazilian this weekend first, and then we’ll see what’s next. But I want that title shot, that has to happen.”
Strickland wore a Crocodile Dundee hat all week before his upset win over Adesanya last year, and says he has proudly hung the hat in his kitchen at home in Las Vegas.
For all of his flaws, he reckons his authenticity is what makes him so popular.
“If it wasn’t for my fan base, they would’ve cut my ass a long time ago,” he joked. “I guarantee you that.
“Behind closed doors, they’re saying, ‘We can’t cut this dude because too many people like him’, so I always owe my thanks to the fans, because without them, I’d be looking for a new job.”
A new job is what Strickland’s buffoonish rival, Covington, could be looking for pretty soon.
Despite their shared political beliefs, the pair hate each other, with Covington telling this masthead he thinks Strickland is “pathetic”.
“Dude, he’s just not genuine,” Strickland hit back this week. “I respect what he did in creating this image, and he panders to a certain group of people, but he’s just a scared little kid on the inside.
“Everything about him is fraudulent.
“I’m really big into patriotism, I drank the Kool-Aid, and I think one of the worst things you can do is use the (American) flag to garner support when it’s not really inside you.
“I just think Colby’s a weak man.”
Despite Covington’s supposed friendship with Trump, Strickland says he has more in common with the former president than ‘Chaos’.
“I didn’t think I was going to like Trump, but he was actually a really genuine guy,” he said of his first meeting with the former President. “When he spoke to you, it’s actually like he gave a shit.
“He was a good, solid, humble guy, down to earth. You wouldn’t even think he was ‘Trump’. If you met him, you’d like him.”
A close friend of UFC president Dana White, Trump has become a regular at big events, most recently attending UFC 299 in March.
But, with Trump’s ‘hush money’ trial nearing its conclusion, Strickland doubts whether he’ll be in attendance this weekend.
“I think he’s going through some shit right now,” he said. “He might be occupied.
“They’re trying to do a witch hunt with this man. It’s crazy. After the trial, he’s got my vote, because what they’re doing to him is so f***ed up.”
As for this weekend, Strickland and Costa haven’t engaged in the heated back-and-forth that overshadowed the American’s last three fights.
But that doesn’t mean there’s any less feeling involved.
“I like Costa, he makes me laugh,” Strickland said. “But we’re still gonna go in there and try to kill each other.
“There’s no bad blood, but we are going to try and shorten each other’s’ lives.”
Originally published as ‘If they ever let me back in’: Strickland begging for return to Australia
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