It was just a short five months ago that Sean Strickland was UFC middleweight champion and in the fight game where the saying goes you’re only as good as your last fight there should be a reminder just how good Strickland is.

He lost the title at UFC 297 to Dricus Du Plessis but it didn’t come without questions or controversy, as the former champion was on the wrong side of a split-decision loss. Coming into UFC 302, Strickland remains the number-one contender atop the middleweight division, and his fight with Paulo Costa should speak volumes of his track back to the title.

The winner of the UFC 302 co-main event should undoubtedly stake their claim to be an upcoming title challenger. It is widely expected that Du Plessis will have his first title defense come against his bitter rival, former champion, Israel Adesanya. No matter who comes out of that fight as a winner, there is already history on both sides for Strickland.

If the current champion were to retain his title and Strickland were to defeat Costa, there’s the angle of a rematch from a very close first fight. If Adesanya were to once again reclaim gold and Strickland defeats Costa, Adesanya would certainly like to avenge his own loss to Strickland from 2023.

Despite what is said on social media or in press conferences, Sean Strickland can be easily-defined as a born-bred fighter.. To his core, Sean Strickland is fighting and in a sense, fighting is Strickland. As much as the fight game calls for a fighter to build their brand and create a following,

Strickland has always been unapologetically himself, never shying away from sharing his thoughts or feelings despite what the public may think or feel towards him, and being himself is what has gotten him this far in his career.

After a serious motorcycle accident in 2018 could have cost him his career, Strickland, true to his core, fought his way back from serious injuries and claimed UFC gold just five years later. In doing so, he not only grew his legacy, but his name became a household one to remember in the middleweight division, even as he remained his true outspoken self. He even addressed his mental health recently, saying he has felt mentally unwell despite having everything he’s ever wanted.

At UFC 302, Sean Strickland has the opportunity to cement his place as one of the next title challengers and prove he’s even better than his last fight.

That last fight was an extremely close loss, and he will have the chance to show that through all else, he is a fighter at heart, a champion at heart, and he’ll continue to fight to further add to his legacy.

People can say that Strickland is not for those with thin-skin, but he is without a doubt meant for the fight game, and at UFC 302, he begins his path back to a world title fight opportunity.