Sean Strickland claims “nobody cares” about Conor McGregor’s UFC return
Associated PressConor McGregor has called Sean Strickland a “decent fighter.” But Strickland didn’t reciprocate the compliment, instead choosing to take a shot at McGregor.
Sean Strickland is coming off a middleweight title bout vs. Dricus Du Plessis — a fight in which the polarizing MMA star lost via a controversial split decision.
In an interview with The Schmo, Strickland claims he won the Du Plessis fight. He even alleged that Dana White agreed with him following the match.
Then, after being asked about Conor McGregor in a follow-up, Strickland told fans exactly what he thought of the former UFC champion.
Strickland questions why anyone still cares about McGregor
Following a question about the ongoing dispute between McGregor and the UFC, Strickland questioned why anyone still cares about the Irishman’s future within the sport.
“I don’t know, man. Do we really care about Conor McGregor these days?” Strickland asked rhetorically.
“I mean, do we still care about Conor McGregor? Is he still a name in the UFC? Dude, go retire on your yacht and be done with your s***.”
Strickland’s comments paint a clear picture — he believes McGregor’s time has come and gone. To Strickland’s point, McGregor hasn’t appeared in the octagon since snapping his leg in a loss to Dustin Poirier in July 2021.
The Irish fighter has only had one UFC victory since 2016, although his mythical aura persists, given the uptick in pay-per-view buy rates for McGregor cards.
McGregor has been vocal about his wish to finish the remaining two fights on his UFC deal sooner than later. But there has been little momentum toward finalizing his opponent(s).
According to Strickland, McGregor’s time as the UFC’s cash cow is over and has urged the 35-year-old to retire and leave the MMA world.