UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland thinks he’d have his way with a prime Anderson Silva.
Strickland (31-7 MMA, 18-7 UFC), who pulled off a massive upset by dethroning Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 328 to claim the 185-pound title, was recently asked about a fantasy matchup with Silva (34-11 MMA, 17-7 UFC).
Advertisement
Silva holds the record for most consecutive UFC middleweight title defenses at 10. He is widely considered not only the greatest middleweight of all time, but one of the greatest fighters in general. Strickland explains how the sport has evolved in a way that a prime Silva wouldn’t be able to handle now.
“I’d f*ck him up,” Strickland told Nina Drama of Silva (h/t Full Mount MMA). “I think there’s a big level difference now. If you could take Anderson Silva and bring him into modern time, you know what I’m saying? Every generation gets better and better and better. So it’s kind of one of those hard fights to say, ‘Would I beat this guy up?’ Well, yeah, like naturally the sport is getting better.”
Two-time UFC middleweight champion Strickland has quietly built an impressive resume with wins over Chimaev, Israel Adesanya, Nassourdine Imavov, Brendan Allen, Paulo Costa, and Anthony Hernandez.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Sean Strickland on facing prime Anderson Silva: ‘I’d f*ck him up’
