"Champ we didn’t know we needed" - Sean Strickland switches attention to Pat Barry-Rose Namajunas again, fans abuzz

Sean Strickland is known for being one of the most outspoken figures in MMA. Now that he's the newly minted UFC middleweight champion, especially after authoring the greatest upset in 185-pound history by dethroning Israel Adesanya, his profile has only risen and he draws even more fan attention.

While he is known for being controversial due to some of his outlandish statements, Strickland also makes it a point to take aim at people with whom he disagrees or finds morally reprehensible. For example, he has been highly critical of Andrew Tate, a former kickboxer who rose to infamy for his misogynistic rhetoric.

This time, Sean Strickland has set his attention back on Pat Barry, who he has previously criticized for his relationship with former UFC strawweight champion Rose Namajunas. A screenshot of Sean Strickland's remarks, which were made on his Instagram story, has been making the rounds on Reddit.

Strickland shared a post in which Barry supposedly shows his car. Instead, the middleweight titleholder included a picture of a van with a pasted paper that reads 'free candy,' implying that Barry is a sexual predator, which many have accused him of being due to him reportedly first meeting Namajunas when she was a minor.

However, they started dating when she turned 18, which still raised several eyebrows. Fans reacted to Strickland with praise, with one fan stating the following:

"Strickland is the champ we didn’t know we needed."

Another fan brought up the history behind Strickland targeting Barry:

"I dunno if it’s true but didn’t they try to blame rose losing a fight on Sean cos he kept saying stuff to him on a bus?"

Other fans, however, were simply amused:

"Lmfao"

Meanwhile, another fan praised Strickland's conduct:

"This is the way"

A collage of fan reactions can be seen below:

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What did Sean Strickland say about Jon Jones?

Sean Strickland is a brutally honest character who speaks his mind whenever he pleases. He is regarded by many as one of the few fighters who is authentically himself. Meanwhile, reigning UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones has been dogged by accusations of being a fraudulent person for most of his career.

This is largely due to Jones' conduct outside the cage, like his domestic violence arrest, past drug use and brushes with the law, clashing with his self-portrayal as a morally upstanding Christian. This has led many to describe him as fake, which Strickland recently echoed in an interview:

"My only thing with Jon Jones is he's just a fake motherf**ker. I mean, Mexican Jamie, didn't he f**king hit a pregnant chick?"