Former UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland didn’t hold back when asked about controversial social media personality ‘Death Sentence‘ during a recent interview with Liv MMA. The outspoken competitor delivered a scathing assessment of the Street Beefs participant whose real name is Maraji Johnson.
“Dude, that guy’s f—ing half r—–ed dog,”
Strickland replied when questioned about Johnson’s recent training partnership with MMA legend Demetrious Johnson.
“Yeah, no he’s full r—–ed. It’s hard bro because I’m a man who did drop out of high school.”
The criticism comes after ‘Death Sentence’ made waves by targeting multiple high-profile UFC athletes including Strickland himself during training sessions with
“Mighty Mouse”
. Despite working with one of MMA’s greatest competitors Johnson’s performance has been inconsistent – winning his first match after the training camp but subsequently facing a brutal knockout in his next outing.
Strickland’s harsh words stem from earlier provocations by ‘Death Sentence’ who specifically called out the former champion over his recent loss to current middleweight titleholder Dricus Du Plessis. The street performer initially claimed to be a fan before switching gears and criticizing Strickland’s sportsmanlike conduct following the defeat.
“You used to be a gangster. You shook his hand… Sean, you are a f—— gangster. You should not take that s—. You need to rematch DDP, do not shake his f—— hand,”
Johnson had said in his critique.
“Don’t show no sportsmanship… I want to see the true Sean Strickland. I saw the gangster in you, I know you got it in you.”
However Strickland’s response revealed a more complex perspective on the situation. While clearly irritated by the social media star’s comments the former champion acknowledged the broader circumstances surrounding Johnson’s background.
“But then you have like a pretty impoverished place with a guy who can’t even f—ing count. But if you were to take how many people in that environment probably have his IQ, his intellectual abilities, I don’t want to hate on the guy too much. It’s just kind of sad because – I can’t say too much, it’s just sad,”
Strickland explained.
The exchange highlights the ongoing tension between traditional martial artists and social media personalities seeking to make names for themselves in combat sports. Despite training with one of the sport’s most respected figures in Demetrious Johnson ‘Death Sentence’ continues to generate controversy through his outspoken commentary on established professionals.
Interestingly even Demetrious Johnson had previously warned ‘Death Sentence’ that targeting Strickland might not be wise given the former champion’s well-documented tendency toward strong responses. That advice apparently went unheeded leading to this latest verbal exchange between the two personalities.
