Sean Strickland wants ‘owed’ UFC title shot: ‘I’ve f—king paid my dues, give me that s—t’ | UFC Vegas 76

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA — Sean Strickland feels he has done enough to earn a coveted Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) title shot.

Strickland scored his fourth UFC main event win at UFC Vegas 76 last night (Sat., July 1, 2023), finishing Abus Magomedov in the second round via technical knockout from inside UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada (watch highlights).

While Magomedov was unranked and a very risky fight for Strickland to accept, the No. 7-seeded Middleweight feels like he is owed a shot at Israel Adesanya’s 185-pound championship.

“F—k, man — it needs to happen, you guys,” Strickland told the media during UFC Vegas 76’s post-fight press conference (watch it here). “We know Izzy is on f—king repeat, dude. They tried to bring Abus — this is what the UFC said, ‘Man, the middleweight division is stagnant. Let’s get Abus in here. He might beat Sean.’

“And I’m like, ‘Yeah right, mother f—ker, wait until you see what happens,” Strickland continued. “Every time they’ve tried to bring new blood, [like] the Frenchie I fought before, I sent him home. This guy, I sent him back. Every time they try to bring new blood in, I send them back. Give me the f—king title. I earned it ... I paid my dues. I’ve f—king paid my dues. Give me that s—t.”

Strickland is correct that Adesanya is lapping everyone and wants a fresh new challenger — he checks the right box. He has also paid his dues in 2023 by defeating two up-and-coming prospects and defending his place in the Top 15.

With Adesanya currently opponent-less for UFC 293 in September, Strickland made a statement that should get the champion’s attention. And he thinks if Robert Whittaker defeats Dricus Du Plessis next week at UFC 290, he’s got next.

Even Du Plessis knows it.

For complete UFC Vegas 76 results, coverage, and highlights click HERE.