Even after UFC 297 defeat, ‘Sean Strickland Era’ isn’t over until fans say it’s over

Sean Strickland may have lost his title at UFC 297, but will it matter to all the fans he’s gained over the past six months?

UFC 297 went down in front of more than 18,000 rabid mixed martial arts (MMA) fans inside a sold-out Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, last night (Sat., Jan. 20, 2024), but it was a tough night for Canadian MMA.

While the host nation women were perfect (2-0), every single male athlete Canadian lost their fight. Indeed, they went winless (0-7), and the Oxygen was largely sucked out of the building by the time Mike Malott fumbled a seemingly locked up win in the final 30 seconds (watch highlights).

But, the passionate crowd persevered to the pay-per-view (PPV) main event, where the Canadian faithful still exploded with unadulterated zeal when Strickland made the walk to defend his Middleweight title against Dricus Du Plessis. In fact, the same crowd booed Du Plessis through the introductions, leaving no doubt where their loyalties lied.

And they popped for every strong “Tarzan” moment across five rounds (watch the highlights here).

Unfortunately, it was another bout that ended in disappointment for the crowd. Strickland would lose to Du Plessis via split decision (48–47, 48–47 and 47–48). His attempts to matador Du Plessis with nothing but a stiff jab and the occasional overhand right kept him from getting blitzed early. In the end, though, “Stillknocks” managed to ramp up the pressure and break through Strickland’s defense in the later rounds.

Sucks for him.

It’s a similar sort of fight that Strickland has waged in the past, often to unimpressed reactions from fans. For example, when he headlined two “Fight Night” shows back-to-back inside UFC Apex to kickoff 2023, there was no love for his style. All that changed after he beat Israel Adesanya at UFC 293 back in Sept. 2023 (watch it). Suddenly fans started appreciating his underdog story and brash persona.

And unlike that “fraud” Colby Covington, Strickland is an authentic asshole, and that’s resonated in the spotlight.

At UFC 297, fans watched in rapt attention as he did the same thing he always does: stay at a distance and jab. It’s no longer boring when it’s your boy doing it to upset favorites. And Strickland is definitely America’s boy ... Canada’s too, from the look of it.

The big question now is whether these new fans continue to care now that Strickland no longer holds UFC’s 185-pound title. Just because he’s no longer champion doesn’t mean he’s lost relevance a Dana White and Co. needle mover. It may have taken his historic upset over Israel Adesanya to earn him the appreciation of fans, but we don’t think that will disappear after tonight’s close split decision loss in Toronto.

He’s super popular, win or lose, at this point.

He’s survived scandals and cancel attempts, he can survive this loss ... if UFC doesn’t decide he’s more trouble than he’s worth. Will he end up headlining UFC Apex cards again, tucked away from big events where he has less chances of causing international incidents? Or, will the promotion acknowledge the clear wave of fan interest and keep pushing him as the unlikely star he has become?

Words sometimes speak louder than actions.

For complete UFC 297 results, coverage and highlights, click HERE.