Many were surprised that Magomedov, whose UFC career consists of a 19-second knockout of Dustin Stoltzfus got the main event slot this Saturday alongside Strickland, who is headlining his fifth UFC event. As we’ve already established, Strickland isn’t concerned with who stands across from him on fight night, but he does have his thoughts on his opponent’s body of work in the Octagon.
“As you’re walking out to a fight, they play the highlight reels of what we’ve done, and Abus, all you’ve done was crush a can,” said Strickland. “That’s your highlight reel. You beat a guy who shouldn’t be in the UFC. Ride the hype wave, enjoy it. I’m going to end it. If you didn’t finish that guy in under a minute, I would say you don’t belong in the UFC.”
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Yes, Magomedov doesn’t have the track record of some headliners, but he did score a spectacular knockout in his debut, and he is 25-4-1 as a pro with 20 finishes, 15 of them in the first round. So the 32-year-old is a seasoned veteran who has paid his dues. And beating Strickland is his ticket to the Top Ten at 185 pounds. That’s a lot to gain for him. And a lot to lose for Strickland. Which means we might be in for a real fight this weekend, and it’s just what someone is expecting.
“Here’s the thing about Abus; he does bring it,” said Strickland. “I think we’re going to have a war for five rounds. I think it’s going to be bloody, and I expect nothing less from him. I think he’s going to bring the heat and I’m going to answer back with more and more intensity and more volume.”
