Dustin Poirier and Jorge Masvidal have commented on Sean Strickland's grappling skills ahead of a potential matchup with Khamzat Chimaev. Poirier stated that good wrestlers who train with Strickland have confirmed he is legitimately strong and difficult to hold down on the mat. Masvidal noted that while Chimaev represents a different level than Strickland's previous opponents, Strickland has handled similar-level grapplers well. Both fighters emphasized that Strickland is extremely difficult to control in the ground game. Masvidal added that he has personally witnessed Strickland drilling techniques with and wrestling against heavyweights in training.
Two veterans of the sport have publicly weighed in on Sean Strickland's grappling credentials as talk of a potential showdown with Khamzat Chimaev continues to circulate.
Dustin Poirier and Jorge Masvidal both spoke up to defend the wrestling ability of the middleweight champion, with each drawing on firsthand observations from training environments. Poirier, a 37-year-old southpaw out of American Top Team with a 30-10 record, said that credible wrestlers who have shared the mat with Strickland confirm he is genuinely powerful and exceptionally hard to control on the ground. Poirier himself averages 1.15 takedowns per 15 minutes across his career, so his read on grappling competence carries weight.
Masvidal, also 41 and training out of American Top Team with a 35-17 career record, went a step further. The veteran acknowledged that Chimaev represents a step up in wrestling pedigree compared to the opponents Strickland has previously faced, but argued the champion has consistently handled elite-level grapplers. Crucially, Masvidal said he has personally watched Strickland drill and wrestle against heavyweights in the gym, a detail that speaks directly to the physicality Strickland brings to the ground game.
Strickland himself, now 35 years old and holding a 31-7 record, stands six-foot-one with a 76-inch reach and operates out of Xtreme Couture. Known primarily as a volume striker — landing 6.04 significant strikes per minute — he rarely seeks takedowns or submissions, but the accounts from Poirier and Masvidal suggest his defensive wrestling is a quietly underrated part of his game.
Why it matters
- A potential Strickland vs. Chimaev fight would be a significant middleweight title matchup, and the grappling dynamic is widely viewed as the central storyline.
- Both Poirier and Masvidal bring credible training-room perspective, lending weight to the assessment that Strickland is harder to put down than his stats suggest.
- If accurate, Strickland's ability to neutralize elite wrestling would be a key factor in any title defense against a grappling-heavy challenger.
