Johnny Eblen foresaw UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland’s success, and at UFC 293, Strickland lived up to expectations by dropping Israel Adesanya on his way to a unanimous decision victory and claiming the title. Now, Strickland is gearing up for his first title defense against Dricus Du Plessis in the main event at UFC 297 in Toronto.
Eblen, the undefeated Bellator middleweight champion, has sparred with Strickland multiple times and attests that Strickland is a puzzle that’s not easy to solve. Reflecting on his experiences with Strickland, Eblen shared his insights on MMA on SiriusXM.
Johnny Eblen Talks Sparring with UFC Champ Sean Strickland
“Sparred with Sean, and the first time I sparred with him, I was like, ‘What the f*ck is this?’ Like, this is different. This guy is hard to hit. I can’t get his timing. He’s awkward. He can hit me,” Eblen explained. “The first time you spar Sean, it’s like you’re trying to figure him out, and it takes a while. I wasn’t surprised when Adesanya was having trouble with him, especially when Sean dropped him.”
Eblen’s familiarity with Strickland’s unorthodox style gave him a unique perspective on the UFC 293 title bout. He noted, “I was like, ‘Dude, if Sean can just keep this up, he’s going to win this fight,’ and he ended up doing it.”
With Strickland securing the middleweight title, the focus shifts to his first title defense against Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 297. Eblen expressed that this matchup makes sense given Strickland’s dominant performance against Adesanya.
“This Dricus fight made the most sense unless Adesanya wanted to come back for a rematch right away, but it just didn’t make sense because Sean just beat the brakes off of him,” Eblen opined. “I kind of foresaw this happening. Maybe I’m one of the few guys that foresaw it because I’ve trained with him and I knew how good Sean was, but yeah, dude, I’m just happy for the guy.”
The Strickland Style
As the anticipation builds for UFC 297, fight fans are eager to witness Strickland’s first title defense against Du Plessis. Eblen’s firsthand experiences and insights add an extra layer of intrigue to the matchup, offering fans a glimpse into the enigma that is Sean Strickland.
The Scotiabank Arena in Toronto is poised to host a night of middleweight action, and as the main event approaches, the question remains: Can Strickland continue his reign, or will Du Plessis be the one to unravel the puzzle? Only time will tell, but one thing is certain – the middleweight division is in for an electrifying showdown at UFC 297.
