Sean Strickland expressed respect for Joshua Van following their recent performances. Strickland said he watched Van's fight and told his coach that he wanted to fight exactly like Van did. He acknowledged Van as a tougher fighter than himself. Both fighters delivered strong performances at their respective bouts. The exchange highlights mutual respect between the competitors despite fighting in different weight classes.
Sean Strickland came away from UFC 328 with more than just his own performance on his mind, publicly praising flyweight champion Joshua Van after watching him compete at the same event.
Strickland, the reigning middleweight champion, told his coach after watching Van's bout that he wanted to fight exactly the way Van did — a striking compliment from one titleholder to another. He went further, acknowledging Van as a tougher fighter than himself.
Strickland, 35, carries a 31-7-0 record and has built his reputation at 185 pounds on relentless output and volume striking. Fighting out of Xtreme Couture, the six-foot-one American with a 76-inch reach lands 6.04 significant strikes per minute, a number that already puts him among the busier middleweights in the division.
Van, just 24 years old and already holding the flyweight title, offers a different kind of blueprint. The Myanmar native has compiled a 17-2-0 record fighting out of 4oz. Fight Club, and his numbers explain the admiration. Van lands 8.84 significant strikes per minute at an accuracy rate of 56 percent — figures that rank among the most efficient in the UFC regardless of weight class.
Why it matters
- Strickland's public praise points to Van emerging as one of the most technically respected fighters across all divisions, not just flyweight
- Van's striking accuracy of 56 percent and output of nearly nine significant strikes per minute represent a style benchmark even champions in heavier classes are studying
- Though the two compete in different weight classes and a matchup is not implied, the exchange signals Van's growing profile within the sport's broader conversation
