Poirier and Masvidal praise Strickland's wrestling ahead of Chimaev fight

Dustin Poirier and Jorge Masvidal have both spoken highly of Sean Strickland's wrestling abilities, describing his grappling as genuinely high-level. Poirier stated that good wrestlers he knows who have trained with Strickland confirm he is very strong and difficult to keep down, with excellent ability to get back to his feet. Masvidal acknowledged that while Khamzat Chimaev represents a different level than Strickland's previous opponents, Strickland has handled grapplers closer to Chimaev's caliber reasonably well. Masvidal emphasized from firsthand observation in training that Strickland is extremely difficult to hold down in grappling exchanges, having seen him work with and even wrestle against heavyweights. Both fighters suggest Strickland's wrestling defense should not be underestimated going into his upcoming bout with Chimaev.