Sean Strickland is laughing his ass off, or maybe he just likes to play fast and loose with his social media acronyms.
Either way, the No. 7-ranked middleweight contender doesn't sound too broken up over the news that former 185-pound champion Luke Rockhold was forced to withdraw from their UFC 268 showdown next month in New York.
:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25368983/UFC_300_poster_Banner.jpeg)
LIVE! Watch UFC 300 PPV On ESPN+ Here!
BIGGEST, BADDEST COMBAT SPORTING EVENT! Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) will make history inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Sat., April 13, 2024, staging the 300th pay-per-view (PPV) event since its inception in 1993. Alex Pereira will put his 205-pound belt on the line in UFC 300’s main event against returning former division roost-ruler, Jamahal Hill. In UFC 300’s co-main event, women’s Strawweight champion, Weili Zhang, will defend against top-ranked contender, Xiaonan Yan, while Justin Gaethje puts his “Baddest Motherf—ker” gimmick belt on the line against former Featherweight deity, Max Holloway, in an all-action Lightweight showdown. UFC 300’s blockbuster PPV main card (see it here) will also feature Charles Oliveira vs. Arman Tsarukyan and Bo Nickal vs. Cody Brundage. All that and so much more! UFC 300 start time scheduled for 6 p.m. ET (Prelims) and 10 p.m. ET (PPV).
“He was never going to make it to the fight lmao… no one is surprised,” Strickland wrote on Instagram. “I sparred him once and almost put him out… didn’t even spar the second round, walked out of the gym lmao… I knew this wasn’t happening.”
Rockhold injured his back (more on that here) and does not have a definitive timetable for return, forcing the promotion to look for a short-notice replacement with less than a month to go. I vote for No. 8-ranked Darren Till, who desperately needs a win at 185 pounds.
Or maybe Strickland can just wait for Rockhold in the parking lot.
To see the current UFC 268 fight card and lineup click here.
Get the latest gear
