Don’t Show Weakness…! ‘Good Guy’ Strickland Has Vulgar Motivation

WASHINGTON D.C. — Sean Strickland is one of a kind.

The reigning Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Middleweight champion has become a rather polarizing figure in mixed martial arts (MMA). That can be perceived in just about any way imaginable. His amateur Lightweight teammate at Xtreme Couture, Biaggio Ali Walsh, however, has positive words for “Tarzan.”

Ahead of his upcoming bout at the 2023 PFL Championship this weekend (Fri. Nov. 24, 2023), Ali Walsh recalled a specific moment in training with the champion where he received some unique encouragement.

“Sean hasn’t changed at all [since becoming champion],” Ali Walsh said at the 2023 PFL Championship media day. “He’s such a good guy, he’s such a good teammate. He pushes everybody. He helps me out a lot, he has great words of advice.

“Quick story … there was one day where I just had a bad sparring day, I got my ass whooped and Sean came up to me and he’s like, ‘You got your lunch money taken. You got your ass whooped,’” he continued. “I’m like, ‘Thank you, Sean. Just pour it on me.’ He was like, ‘Yeah, if you showed me any kind of weakness I’d be jerking off.’ I’m like, ‘Thank you. I’m glad I turn you on’ (laughs).”

Strickland has notoriously been viewed as a good, but aggressive, teammate by his peers despite outside competitors perhaps not being the biggest fans. In the end, Ali Walsh won over the champion in his sparring sequel.

“After, he was like, ‘No, you’re great, you’re working with the best guys,’” Ali Walsh said. “The following week I did the same round with the same dude and Sean was cornering me because we were sparring in the cage, I beat the dude up, and Sean came up to me and said, ‘You made your father proud.’ I was like, ‘Thank you. Thank you, Dad,’ (laughs)”

Facing Joel Galarza Lopez in his seventh career amateur bout at the 2023 PFL Championship, Ali Walsh intends to enter the professional ranks afterward.