MMA news: Sean Strickland back in action vs Anthony Hernandez – but is his star quality waning?
Sean Strickland returns to action on Saturday, February 14 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas against Anthony Hernandez after being out of action for just over a year.
Strickland had the MMA world fully behind him when he won the middleweight title against long-reigning champion Israel Adesanya as a 5/1 underdog.
The brash, outspoken nature of Strickland felt like a breath of fresh air to many fans, but public sentiment has since shifted to focus on his underwhelming fighting style, reports Sports News Blitz’s MMA writer Samuel Faris-Clark.
Star on the wane
A criticism often thrown at Strickland is his reliance on the jab and teep as opposed to opening up and trying to finish his opponents.
Strickland’s last four fights have all gone to decision, which contradicts claims that he often makes before his fights such as: “We’re gonna go to war, I’m gonna bleed and die for you guys.”
Whilst the antics of Strickland were novel and unique when he won the belt, fans have started to call out the hypocrisy of a man claiming he is willing to die every time he steps into the octagon, who instead goes out to jab and teep.
This Saturday’s fight marks the first time that a Strickland bout has not been pay-per-view (now just ‘numbered events’) since July 2023.
Being moved onto a Fight Night card could show that the UFC thinks Strickland’s star quality is waning.
READ MORE: MMA analysis: Has the UFC done enough to cultivate a new generation of stars?
Public perception is key
We have seen in the past that big, controversial stars are only relevant as long as fans are interested in their fights, for example Josh Koscheck and Colby Covington.
For this fight, Hernandez is the big favorite with odds of 1/3 and if he is successful in beating 34-year-old Strickland, it would leave the Californian with just one win in his last four fights.
Although there is still clearly interest in Strickland’s fights, it is fair to say that fan sentiment has deteriorated and a boring fight or a poor showing will only worsen public perception.
As much as fight fans love pageantry and showmanship outside the cage, the making or breaking of every fighter is their fights.
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