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Khabib’s coach breaks down Strickland’s massive win: “Such a master”

Published

September 13, 2023

Sean Strickland Khabib Nurmagomedov MMA Frontkick.online

Sean Strickland and Khabib Nurmagomedov. Photo via UFC (Twittter) and Instagram (@khabib_international_fans)

Sean Strickland pulled off a performance of a lifetime when he convincingly defeated Israel Adesanya at UFC 293, to become the new middleweight champion.

Javier Mendez, former coach of Khabib Nurmagomedov, is certain that Strickland’s defense on the feet was the best that former two-time middleweight champ has faced in the UFC.

“First of all, people in the past that fought Izzy don’t have the great defense that Sean Strickland has,” Mendez said on his YouTube channel. “Look at the stats of Sean Strickland, he’s probably one of the few fighters that’s been hit the least amount out of anybody, in any division. The guy rarely gets touched because he’s such a master at avoiding the strikes.”

Couldn’t figure out Sean Strickland

Even though the former kickboxer is one of the best and most creative strikers the promotion has ever seen, Strickland’s basic boxing combinations, slick defense and massive pressure was too much to handle for Adesanya.

“I didn’t think that this was gonna apply to such a high level as Izzy. Izzy’s as high a level striker as they come, they don’t come any higher than him,” Mendez said. “And his corner couldn’t figure out the puzzle. Maybe they can now, maybe they figure ‘Okay, we got him now.’”

At the moment it’s not clear if the UFC will give Adesanya an immediate rematch for the title, or if they will put Sean Strickland up against some of the other top level middleweight fighters like Robert Whittaker, Dricus Du Plessis or Jared Cannonier.

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