Sean Strickland Clarifies Fan ‘Punch’ Ahead of UFC 293 Title Clash

Sean Strickland’s lead-up to his first UFC title-shot fight week has been filled with controversy and playful antics. In an interview with Fox Sports Australia, Strickland claimed to have punched a fan, which created a buzz. However, UFC President Dana White clarified that the story had been exaggerated for entertainment.

White mentioned that Strickland was known for pushing boundaries and playing up controversies during media engagements. While Strickland did show up at a UFC 293 pre-fight news conference wearing a “CANCEL ME” t-shirt, he later admitted that the fan incident was a playful interaction with mutual understanding.

“Do you know where the news came from that he punched a fan?” White said. “Yeah, (the news came from him). Yeah, he’s beauty. He played it up more than whatever and was jokingly. … The fan and him are cool. Going into this, I knew. I knew what this week was going to be like. Yes, we’re prepared for it and yes we have people around him now, so he won’t be punching people in the stomach anymore – for fun or not for fun.”

Strickland explained that the incident had been in jest, and both he and the fan had a good laugh about it. Despite his penchant for stirring the pot, Strickland acknowledged the importance of doing the right things.

In the UFC 293 main event, Strickland will challenge middleweight champion Israel Adesanya for the title. The event is set to take place at Qudos Bank Arena.

In summary, Sean Strickland’s lead-up to his UFC title fight against Israel Adesanya has been marked by playful controversies, including a claim of punching a fan, which was later clarified as a lighthearted interaction. Despite the theatrics, Strickland understands the significance of his upcoming championship bout.