Sean Strickland has no right to be angry about his next fight’s location

Rumor has it that UFC middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis will defend his belt in Sydney, Australia, in February. Possible Du Plessis opponent Sean Strickland is not pleased about the UFC’s location choice.

“UFC event planning[:] ‘I have a great idea, let's send Sean to go fight for a championship in foreign country where the government absolutely hates him[.]’” Strickland posted on X . “UFC are you [expletive] with me or are you trying to tell me you want me to spread freedom?! I wonder at times….”

Strickland won the middleweight title in Australia at UFC 293. While there, he was his typical, unfiltered self, and some Aussie politicians took offense .

After losing his belt to Du Plessis in Toronto and then winning a fight against Paulo Costa in New Jersey, Strickland declared that he wanted to fight for the title in the U.S . So when Du Plessis’ coach, Morne Visser, revealed on an episode of “Submission Radio” that his team is preparing for a February fight in Sydney, Strickland was understandably peeved.

But Visser also said he doesn’t think Strickland will be the next to try and take the title from Du Plessis. Instead, Visser believes that honor will go to Robert Whittaker, the No. 3 middleweight contender, based on the fact that he’s won more fights than Strickland has since Du Plessis took the belt.

Strickland is the No. 1 contender and lost in a controversial split decision to Du Plessis. He has a great argument for why he should get the next title shot. However, he’s not the current champion, and talk of Whittaker or even former middleweight champion Alex Pereira getting the next chance at the belt has been percolating for months.

Strickland should simply be happy if he gets the main event in February in Sydney. If he takes care of business and displaces the reigning, defending middleweight champion, then he can dictate where he defends his title.