Last Friday, the UFC APEX witnessed an unexpected twist when former UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland engaged in a sparring session with popular live streamer Sneako.
What was anticipated to be a friendly encounter took a dark turn as Strickland unleashed a relentless assault on the social media influencer.
The resulting viral video sparked varied reactions, with some deeming Strickland’s actions unnecessary. Others pointed fingers at Sneako for agreeing to the sparring session. UFC commentator Joe Rogan expressed his bewilderment and disapproval during a recent episode of The Joe Rogan Experience.
Rogan shared his thoughts on Strickland’s aggressive approach on his podcast. He stated: “[Strickland] beat up that kid who’s a smaller than him streamer named Sneako, which is not a good look. He beat the sh*t out of that guy. I just don’t know why he wanted to do that. It’s so easy for him to beat that guy up. It’s not fair. I don’t know what that kid though. First of all, he’s so silly for doing that, for agreeing to do that with Sean Strickland.”
In September 2023, Sean Strickland surprised the MMA world by dethroning Israel Adesanya as the UFC middleweight champion through a unanimous decision victory. The clash between their distinct styles and personalities became the focal point, a narrative that Joe Rogan revisited while reflecting on Strickland’s sparring session with Sneako.
Regarding Adesanya being a more dependable sparring partner for a novice combatant, Rogan said: “If you agree to do that with Israel Adesanya, Israel Adesanya will take care of you. I swear to god. He’ll pop you a little bit, he’ll let you know you’re helpless, but he won’t f*ck you up. He’ll smile and laugh, and he’ll hug you afterward. You could spar with him. I guarantee you could spar with him.”
Rogan went on to describe how Strickland differs from Adesanya in the scenario that was previously mentioned.
He said: “Sean Strickland is a different animal. Sean Strickland, he’s got this f*cking man code, and he believes in it, like you got to get your a*s kicked every now and then. He spars all the time. He spars constantly, and if you agree to get in there with him, you’re essentially agreeing to let him beat the f*ck out of you because you don’t really have a chance. You have no chance.”
Sean Strickland’s brief reign as champion came to an end four months after he defeated Israel Adesanya in a split decision. Meanwhile has yet to step back into the octagon.