Sean Strickland keeps strengthening his case for a possible middleweight title shot.
Strickland dominated Jack Hermansson in the headliner of UFC Fight Night on Saturday for his sixth straight victory. Judges scored it as a split decision for Strickland (49-46 Strickland, 48-47 Hermansson, and 49-46 Strickland), although it should have been a unanimous decision nod.
“His face shows the result,” a victorious Strickland told ESPN+ in the Octagon, referring to Hermansson’s bruises.
“I was being a pansy,” added Strickland about not forcing the issue and targeting a stoppage. “I should have stayed in the pocket and thrown like I did at the end. Maybe I let the pressure get to me.”
Perhaps Strickland was being too hard on himself as he thoroughly beat Hermansson using technical prowess and crisp, clean punching led by the jab.
With only middleweight champion Israel Adesanya touting more consecutive wins at middleweight, Strickland naturally pointed to getting a shot at the winner of next weekend’s rematch between the titleholder and Robert Whittaker.
“I would love to get a title shot,” Strickland said. “I will fight who you put in front of me, but if they have the belt, I’ll be very happy.”