Sean Strickland is leaning into his unusual submission record as he prepares to challenge Khamzat Chimaev for the middleweight title in the UFC 328 main event at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.
Strickland has never been submitted in his professional career and, notably, no opponent has even attempted a submission against him. That includes his bout with Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 297, where he was taken down six times without facing a single submission attempt.
Asked about that statistic ahead of UFC 328, Strickland said, "Maybe because I've only fought men – I don't know," before adding, "Submissions are f*cking gay. I'm sad that I potentially have to deal with a guy who wants to dry hump my leg. But I'm also never really in a position for guys to do submissions. I don't want to go on my back. I'm not into that sh*t."
Chimaev brings a contrasting profile into the matchup, with six of his professional wins coming by submission. He has used his wrestling and submissions to defeat opponents such as Kevin Holland and Robert Whittaker.
Strickland, meanwhile, has experience against strong grapplers, having previously faced fighters including Kamaru Usman and Brendan Allen.
