Mayra Bueno Silva was not having Sean Strickland’s sexist remarks.
Bueno Silva (10-2-1 MMA, 5-2-1 UFC) meets Raquel Pennington (15-8 MMA, 12-5 UFC) for the vacant bantamweight title in the UFC 297 co-main event Jan. 20. Headlining that card is middleweight champion Strickland, who makes his first title defense against Dricus Du Plessis.
Strickland (28-5 MMA, 15-5 UFC) mockingly commented that he’ll be helping Bueno Silva and Pennington sell pay-per-views in an Instagram post.
“Well Canada time to bring you all some freedom. Didn’t want to fight in Jan or in Canada but was asked to help a couple ladies do their job.. and they call me sexist..”
Bueno Silva fired back at Strickland. She admits that her fight with Pennington may not be the most intriguing matchup, but she doesn’t think Strickland’s fights have been either.
“Look, on paper, my fight with Raquel is not a good fight,” Bueno Silva told ESPN. “But on paper, Sean Strickland and Dricus Du Plessis is a good fight? No. Sean talks too much. He thinks he is a big star, but he is not a big star. I believe my fight and Sean’s fight, one helps the other.
“On paper, two bad fights for fans. But when we enter the octagon, I do a good fight and Du Plessis does good fights, too. I don’t watch good fights from Sean Strickland. I don’t remember a good fight.”
UFC 297 takes place Jan. 20 at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto and streams on pay-per-view.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 297.
