Sean Strickland hasn’t let his love for motorcycles get in the way of his hatred for the woke culture.
While the UFC star has been caught doing and saying some incredibly controversial things, he remains true to his own beliefs. His brash approach to social media has often landed him in trouble, but that hasn’t altered the way he acts.
After claims of Harley Davidson ‘going woke’ surfaced, Sean Strickland hopped on social media, hoping to sell his bike and retract his affiliation with the motorcycle company.
“Well, Harley Davidson has gone woke,” Strickaknd said on X. “Anyone want a good deal on a lowride S 117?”
“Listen, man, I still go to Starbucks. It’s a dirty f***ing liberal company and I accepted that. Harley going woke is a betrayal to their customers. It’s different.”
Well…………………….. @harleydavidson has gone woke…….. Anyone want a good deal on a lowride S 117? #DEI #woke
— Sean Strickland (@SStricklandMMA) July 30, 2024
Listen man I still go to Starbucks. It's a dirty fucking liberal company and I accepted that… Harley going woke is a betrayal to their customers. It's different.
— Sean Strickland (@SStricklandMMA) July 30, 2024
Harley Davidson promoted popular musician Machine Gun Kelly and Strickland couldn’t remain silent.
“You promote MGK, the guy who dresses his boys like girls and does blood rituals. Time to sell that Harley stock while it’s up.”
“Harley, there is still time. I don’t want to sell my bike. Your CEO is a German climate activist who has created a woke agenda. Turn back, we will forgive you. Turn back.”
You promote MGK.. the guy who dresses his boys like girls and does blood rituals…… Time to sell that harley stock while it's up.. https://t.co/q784jRhGPo
— Sean Strickland (@SStricklandMMA) July 30, 2024
They muted the comments… Harley there is still time. I don't want to sell my bike….. You're CEO is a german climate activist who has created a woke agenda. Turn back… we will forgive you… turn back… https://t.co/q784jRhGPo
— Sean Strickland (@SStricklandMMA) July 30, 2024
Related: Sean Strickland sustains injuries in motorcycle accident
Harley Davidson has been a major partner of the UFC since 2007. The motorcycle company perfectly aligns with fight fans around the world, which helped it gain a proud, loyal following since their partnership began almost two decades ago.
Sean Strickland’s newfound love for riding motorcycles has taken a hit. The former UFC middleweight champion recently learned how to wheelie on his bike, which adds another thrillseeking activity to his ever-growing list.
Despite being able to find the balance point, Strickland managed to have an accident that cut and bruised him while joyriding earlier this month.
Belal Muhammad is now ranked in the Top 10 of the pound-for-pound rankings.
The newly-crowned welterweight champion unseated former division titleholder Leon Edwards in the UFC 304 pay-per-view (PPV) main event last weekend in Manchester, shaking up the 170-pound leaderboard in the process.
“Rocky” slipped to No. 7 at pound-for-pound and No. 1 at welterweight.
Interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall also gained some ground on the “bullsh*t” pound-for-pound chart, clocking in at No. 9 after disposing of longtime contender Curtis Blaydes. In addition, lightweight sensation Paddy Pimblett finally cracked the Top 15 at 155 pounds by submitting veteran bruiser King Green.
Here’s how UFC compiles its official rankings:
Rankings were generated by a voting panel made up of media members. The media members were asked to vote for who they feel are the top fighters in the UFC by weight-class and pound-for-pound. A fighter is only eligible to be voted on if they are in active status in the UFC. A fighter can appear in more than one weight division at a time. The champion and interim champion are considered to be in the top positions of their respective divisions and therefore are not eligible for voting by weight-class. However, the champions can be voted on for the pound-for-pound rankings.
Take a look at what the latest rankings field looks like courtesy of the UFC app. Note: (+/- = movement in rankings, T = tie, *NR = Not previously ranked).
MEN’S POUND-FOR-POUND
1. Islam Makhachev 2. Alex Pereira 3. Jon Jones 4. Ilia Topuria +1 5. Sean O’Malley +1 6. Belal Muhammad *NR 7. Leon Edwards -3 8. Alexander Volkanovski -1 9. Tom Aspinall +2 10. Max Holloway -2 11. Dricus Du Plessis -2 12. Alexandre Pantoja -2 13. Israel Adesanya -1 14. Sean Strickland 15. Charles Oliveira -2
FLYWEIGHT
Champion: Alexandre Pantoja
1. Brandon Royval 2. Brandon Moreno 3. Amir Albazi 4. Kai Kara France 5. Tatsuro Taira 6. Alex Perez +1 7. Steve Erceg +2 8. Matheus Nicolau +2 9. Manel Kape -1 10. Tim Elliott +1 11. Matt Schnell +1 12. Tagir Ulanbekov +1 13. Bruno Silva +1 14. Asu Almabayev +1 15. Cody Durden *NR
Note: Muhammad Mokaev released from UFC, removed from flyweight rankings
BANTAMWEIGHT
Champion: Sean O’Malley
1. Merab Dvalishvili 2. Cory Sandhagen 3. Petr Yan 4. Marlon Vera 5. Henry Cejudo 6. Deiveson Figueiredo 7. Song Yadong 8. Jose Aldo 9. Rob Font 10. Umar Nurmagomedov 11. Kyler Phillips 12. Mario Bautista 13. Dominick Cruz 14. Jonathan Martinez 15. Montel Jackson
FEATHERWEIGHT
Champion: Ilia Topuria
1. Alexander Volkanovski 2. Max Holloway 3. Brian Ortega 4. Yair Rodriguez 5. (T) Movsar Evloev 5. (T) Arnold Allen +1 7. Josh Emmett 8. Aljamain Sterling 9. Calvin Kattar 10. Giga Chikadze 11. Lerone Murphy 12. Diego Lopes 13. Bryce Mitchell 14. Dan Ige 15. Edson Barboza
LIGHTWEIGHT
Champion: Islam Makhachev
1. Arman Tsarukyan 2. Charles Oliveira 3. Justin Gaethje 4. Dustin Poirier 5. Mateusz Gamrot 6. Michael Chandler 7. Beneil Dariush 8. Rafael Fiziev 9. Max Holloway 10. Renato Moicano 11. Dan Hooker 12. Benoit Saint-Denis 13. Jalin Turner 14. Rafael dos Anjos 15. Paddy Pimblett *NR
WELTERWEIGHT
Champion: Belal Muhammed
1. Leon Edwards -1 2. Kamaru Usman -1 3. Shavkat Rakhmonov 4. Colby Covington 5. Jack Della Maddalena 6. Gilbert Burns 7. Ian Machado Garry 8. Sean Brady 9. Stephen Thompson 10. Geoff Neal 11. Joaquin Buckley 12. Neil Magny 13. Vicente Luque 14. Michael Page -1 15. Kevin Holland
MIDDLEWEIGHT
Champion: Dricus Du Plessis
1. Sean Strickland 2. Israel Adesanya 3. Robert Whittaker 4. Nassourdine Imavov 5. Jared Cannonier 6. Marvin Vettori 7. Brendan Allen 8. Paulo Costa 9. Jack Hermansson 10. Roman Dolidze 11. Khamzat Chimaev 12. Caio Borralho 13. Michel Pereira 14. Anthony Hernandez 15. Chris Curtis
LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT
Champion: Alex Pereira
1. Jiri Prochazka 2. Magomed Ankalaev 3. Jamahal Hill 4. Jan Blachowicz 5. Aleksandar Rakic 6. Nikita Krylov 7. Volkan Oezdemir 8. Khalil Rountree 9. Johnny Walker 10. Carlos Ulberg 11. Anthony Smith 12. Bogdan Guskov 13. Dominick Reyes 14. Azamat Murzakanov 15. Alonzo Menifield
HEAVYWEIGHT
Champion: Jon Jones
1. Tom Aspinall 2. Ciryl Gane 3. Alexander Volkov 4. Sergei Pavlovich +1 5. Curtis Blaydes -1 6. Stipe Miocic 7. Jailton Almeida 8. Marcin Tybura 9. Serghei Spivac 10. Tai Tuivasa 11. Derrick Lewis 12. Jairzinho Rozenstruik 13. Alexandr Romanov 14. Marcos Rogerio De Lima 15. Rodrigo Nascimento
1. Julianna Pena 2. Ketlen Vieira 3. Kayla Harrison 4. Irene Aldana 5. Macy Chiasson 6. Mayra Bueno Silva 7. Holly Holm 8. Karol Rosa 9. Miesha Tate 10. Norma Dumont 11. Pannie Kianzad 12. Yana Santos 13. Julia Avila 14. Chelsea Chandler 15. Germaine De Randamie
You can expect these rankings to change around this time next week, particularly in the bantamweight division, following the UFC Abu Dhabi: “Sandhagen vs. Nurmagomedov” mixed martial arts (MMA) event on ABC and ESPN+, scheduled for Sat., Aug. 3, 2024 at Etihad Arena, Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, UAE.
For much more on that upcoming fight card click here.
The craziest thing about this whole interim defending and jones not unifying the belt is that the ufc failed to get the biggest heavyweight fight in history signed (ngannou vs jones) and then in the very next title fight they are doing it again, as everyone knows this is jones last fight.
I would not be surprised if jones asks for more money, stalls and just retires.
Muhammad Mokaev | Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
Muhammad Mokaev sees the error of his ways.
At UFC 304, Mokaev won a unanimous decision over Manel Kape in a bout that was overshadowed by all the controversy surrounding it. Prior to their fight, Mokaev and Kape got into an altercation at the fighter hotel, which Mokaev later admitted to causing when he sucker-punched Kape, and the two nearly came to blows at several other media events during Fight Week. After Saturday’s fight, UFC CEO Dana White said the promotion would not re-sign the undefeated super prospect as he had completed his deal with the UFC.
Needless to say, it was a tumultuous week for Mokaev and now with a little time to reflect, “The Punisher” appears to recognize his actions weren’t well-received.
Mokaev addressed the controversy via social media.
This is first time I punched outside the cage, it was more personal
He was the one who head butted 5 days before Perez fight when I went to shake his hand in Vegas! I understand, this is wrong what happen at the hotel and I apologise to the UFC, but there’s some nights I…
— Muhammad Mokaev (@muhammadmokaev) July 30, 2024
“This is first time I punched outside the cage, it was more personal
“He was the one who head butted 5 days before Perez fight when I went to shake his hand in Vegas!
“I understand, this is wrong what happen at the hotel and I apologize to the UFC, but there’s some nights I didn’t sleep because someone treated me like that , I never been cheap shot on the streets
“I will never let anyone bully me and I never bullied anyone, but whatever happened it happened, I don’t wanna keep going about it but I will take big lesson from it!”
Mokaev was ranked No. 6 in the UFC flyweight rankings before his departure from the promotion. Given the UFC’s willingness to work with other fighters who have behaved in a similar fashion, fans quickly wondered if there was an ulterior motive to the move, with a rumor circulating that Mokaev actually began negotiating with the PFL prior to finishing his UFC contract, prompting White’s comments.
Mokaev’s manager Tim Simpson categorically rejected those reports and Mokaev himself also denies anything of the sort, saying he still hopes to be re-signed by the promotion.
My dream is to become UFC Champion
I turn them all down because UFC gave me the platform to put my name out there and earn money to feed my family!
btw PFL don’t have flyweight division All these journalists that make this shit up are idiots!
I hope Dana resigns me, this… https://t.co/ArCTIF9Wwy
— Muhammad Mokaev (@muhammadmokaev) July 30, 2024
“My dream is to become UFC Champion.
“I turn them all down because UFC gave me the platform to put my name out there and earn money to feed my family!
“[By the way] PFL don’t have flyweight division.
“All these journalists that make this shit up are idiots!
“I hope Dana resigns me, this is my dream to become champion!”
While White could always change his mind, for the time being it appears that Mokaev is truly out of the promotion as he was dropped from the UFC rankings in its latest update. But having just turned 24 years old, with an impressive undefeated record, and nearly 2 million Instagram followers, Mokaev should not lack for suitors for his considerable skillset, if the UFC holds firm.
Jon Jones, the reigning UFC heavyweight champion, looks to be the underdog in a potential match against Tom Aspinall. The UK-born Aspinall has been tearing through the UFC’s heavyweight division, looking so dangerous that he would be the betting favorite against all-time great ‘Bones’ Jones.
Jon Jones vs Tom Aspinall
According to a sportsbook, Aspinall is a slight favorite at -150 to defeat Jones at +130. The UK-born Aspinall hold the interim heavyweight title in the UFC while ‘Bones‘ Jones, of the USA, holds the undisputed championship. These two are not yet booked against one another. While Aspinall is the clear top contender to claim Jones’ crown, the American athlete wants to defeat the former champion Stipe Miocic.
According to the UFC star Padd Pimblett, Jones is so heavily interested in the Stipe Miocic fight because he wants a leg up against his rival Daniel Cormier. Speaking in an exclusive interview with Low Kick MMA, Pimblett explained: “He wants to have that win over Stipe who’s beaten Cormier twice, just so it’s another f*ck you to Cormier. That’s how his brain works.”
Tom Aspinall Record
Tom Aspinall has quite an incredible record in MMA. In the UFC, he has eight wins all by way of knockout or submission. None of these victories went past the three-minute mark. Aspinall has a lone loss to Curtis Blaydes, due to a knee injury, which he later avenged at UFC 304. All 15 of Aspinall’s wins in MMA have come by way of KO/TKO or submission, the English athlete has never had to meet a judges scorecard.
With such an impressive run in the UFC, having won and defended his interim title, Aspinall wants a shot at the division king on Jones. He even pitched a heavyweight tournament idea featuring Jones, himself, Stipe Miocic, and the light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira.
“So, they’re saying Jon Jones and Stipe are going to fight at MSG in November, why don’t we do a tournament: Jon vs. Stipe and me vs. Alex,” Pereira said. “Do a four-man tournament, two fights in one night, and let’s find out who the real Heavyweight champion is.
“We got the greatest Heavyweight of all time, we got the greatest MMA fighter of all time, we got the Light Heavyweight champion, and me who is just a poxy Interim champion. Let’s do that…wouldn’t that be a cool little thing, two fights in one night. I got the lowest average fight time in the UFC, and it’s even lower after tonight; my chances in that tournament are pretty good” (h/t Bloody Elbow).
Jon Jones Next Fight
Jon Jones next fight is not yet officially scheduled. Since defeating France’s Ciryl Gane in early 2023, ‘Bones’ has been inactive. At UFC 295 the 37-year-old was booked against Stipe Miocic on November 11, 2023, but Jones pulled out of the match due to an injury.
The status of all-time great has certainly been earned throughout the career of Jon Jones. Since becoming the youngest champion in UFC in 2011, he has defeated former or future UFC champions Glover Teixeira, Daniel Cormier, Vitor Belfort, Rashad Evans, Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson, Maurício ‘Shogun’ Rua, and Lyoto Machida, in addition to other contenders who would never hold UFC gold. Simply, ‘Bones’ has an incredible resume in MMA.
Fans are hoping to see Jon Jones and Tom Aspinall face off in a title unification bout sometime in 2024. Many MMA followers are not interested in the Miocic fight. The American athlete Miocic was a great UFC heavyweight champion but has been winless since 2020. ‘The Baddy’ Paddy Pimblett said, That’s the scenario that I think every UFC fan wants.”
Leon Edwards’ coach has looked to add some context to the former UFC welterweight champion’s wrestling struggles against Belal Muhammad.
Edwards headlined this past weekend’s UFC 304 pay-per-view event at the Co-op Live arena in Manchester, England, defending the 170-pound gold in a rematch with Muhammad.
Against the odds and despite many backing the champ to retain, “Remember the Name” proved that his confidence was well placed by putting on a largely dominant display across five rounds en route to a unanimous decision victory.
A key part of Muhammad’s title triumph was his renowned grappling game, as he utilized a smothering wrestling arsenal to control Edwards for significant portions of the UFC 304 headliner. That came as a surprise to many given Edwards’ strong wrestling defense, which helped him outpoint both Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington last year.
Now, some extra information has been attached to the former champ’s failure to combat Muhammad’s takedowns…
Coach Lovell Was ‘Dubious’ About Edwards Fighting Through Injury At UFC 304
During a recent interview on Submission Radio, coach Dave Lovell reflected on his man’s setback in Manchester this past weekend, which marked his first defeat since a decision loss to Usman in 2015.
While he acknowledged Muhammad’s display and suggested it simply wasn’t Edwards night, the experienced trainer did reveal some injury troubles that he believes hampered “Rocky’s” ability to handle the challenger’s main offense at UFC 304.
“Where Leon was concerned, a lot of people don’t know this — and I’m not making any kind of excuses for him — but we had a few niggles in camp. His back was niggling him,” Lovell said. “So he couldn’t wrestle the way he really needed to, offensively and defensively. We’re not taking anything away from Belal’s performance. He did well; the best man won on the night. But Leon will be back.
“I was very dubious because these niggles were going on for about maybe five or so weeks on or off. He had to go to a chiropractor (for) regular massages. But again, after one session, it was back to square one,” Lovell continued. “In the back part of my mind, I was thinking, ‘Should we go for this?’ But because he hadn’t fought for so long, Leon said he wanted it, so we just pushed forward through the injury, trained through the injury, and then tried to get through and get a victory. Unfortunately, it never happened.”
Edwards made no mention of the physical problems he seemingly entered the cage with at UFC 304 himself. In a short and succinct post-fight statement, “Rocky” apologized to his fans and vowed to regain the gold.
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Read More: 4 Positives & 3 Negatives From UFC 304: Leon Edwards vs. Belal Muhammad 2
Continue Reading Leon Edwards’ Coach Claims Injury Affected UFC 304 Performance: ‘He Couldn’t Wrestle The Way He Needed To’ at MMA News.
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