UFC commentator Joe Rogan has lauded Sean Strickland as the “captain of the deep waters” following his split-decision victory over Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 328.
The win marked Strickland’s second reign as the UFC middleweight champion, a feat he previously achieved by defeating Israel Adesanya in a notable upset.
Despite his often controversial public persona, Strickland has seemingly embarked on an “apology tour” post-UFC 328, attempting to mend fences with fans despite past media missteps.
On a recent episode of “The Joe Rogan Experience,” Rogan highlighted Strickland’s exceptional endurance and ability to navigate difficult fight situations.
Joe Rogan on Sean Strickland’s Success
“I was totally in awe of Strickland the whole time,” Rogan stated. “I thought, that guy is the absolute captain of deep water. He knows how to go into the deep end and survive. He can endure.
“The challenge with Khamzat is that if he gets you down, his strategy is to hold you there and ground and pound without expending excessive energy, as he did against Dricus Du Plessis. That approach won’t work against Sean. Sean doesn’t stay still. He’s incredibly difficult to control on the ground. His grappling is vastly underrated. It’s seriously underrated. You even saw him nearly throw Khamzat later in the fight, and he ended up in dominant positions multiple times.”
Rogan also addressed Strickland’s shoulder injury, which occurred during a dirt bike accident. “Many fighters would have declared themselves unable to fight due to an arm injury. In his second fight with DDP, he injured his shoulder again while recklessly riding a dirt bike. He crashed, injured his shoulder, and was then told he had to fight. He had to take the fight with a compromised shoulder. One thing you notice is that when he throws his right hand, particularly in this fight, it sometimes looked awkward. It appeared strange at times, as if he was trying to avoid using his shoulder.”