Dustin Poirier and Jorge Masvidal have both spoken positively about Sean Strickland's wrestling credentials, noting they have heard from high-level training partners and witnessed firsthand that his grappling is genuinely strong. Poirier said good wrestlers who work with Strickland confirm he is difficult to hold down and effective at getting back to his feet. Masvidal added that while Chimaev represents a different level than Strickland's past opponents, Strickland has handled those closer to Chimaev's caliber reasonably well. Both fighters emphasized that keeping Strickland on the ground is very challenging, with Masvidal having observed him grappling with heavyweights in training. Their comments suggest Strickland's ground game is more developed than commonly perceived.
