UFC middleweight Paulo Costa said he was offered fights with Jared Cannonier and Sean Strickland, but Strickland declined the fight, according to information he received from the UFC.
Paulo Costa, a former UFC middleweight title contender, spilled the beans recently. He mentioned that Sean Strickland was one of two fighters suggested for his next bout. But then, there was a twist.
Costa was chatting with The Coach and The Casual. He revealed that he was initially offered a fight with Jared Cannonier, another one-time title challenger. He was all for it. Then, his promoter threw a curveball. They proposed Strickland as his opponent.
“I was totally into the idea of fighting Cannonier,” Costa confessed. “They even suggested a June fight.” But then, the UFC did a U-turn. “They came back to me and said, ‘Paulo, you’re up against Sean Strickland on June 1. It’s a fantastic fight. More fun than Cannonier, we reckon.”
But then, something went awry. “I don’t know what happened – Strickland said no. He refused to fight me. That’s what the UFC told me. I just have this information from the UFC. I think the fight would be great. I would love to fight him.”
UFC 302 is happening on June 1. The venue? Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.
Strickland’s rep was MIA when MMA Fighting reached out for a comment. However, the ex-champ did post on Instagram, “I never say no…I say how much.”
Strickland has been pushing for a rematch with Dricus du Plessis. Du Plessis outscored him at UFC 297, denying him a first title defense. The last person to defeat Strickland was Cannonier. Their fight at UFC Vegas 66 was a close call, with Cannonier emerging victorious.
Du Plessis recently asked his fans to vote. Should he rematch Strickland or fight ex-champ Israel Adesanya for his first title defense? Du Plessis and Adesanya have been circling each other for months. They were even scheduled to fight at UFC 293, but an injury to du Plessis derailed the plan. Strickland stepped in for du Plessis and won the title in a shocking upset over Adesanya.
With du Plessis now leading the division, Costa’s chances for a title have improved significantly. But if Strickland won’t fight him, he might need to find another way back to the title.