Sean Strickland will wait out a UFC title shot if he gets past No.6 middleweight contender Jack Hermansson tonight (Saturday, Feb 5) in Las Vegas.
The fast-rising and controversial Strickland hasn't lost since making the move up to 185lb, and with three of the top five as well as champion Israel Adesanya fighting next weekend he is now seeing a path to the gold.
The 30-year-old North Carolina native is becoming one of the most intriguing characters in MMA with his wacky antics and interviews, but inside the octagon he is a dangerous prospect.
And after deciding to leave the welterweight division behind in 2018, he has emerged as a top contender at middleweight, where champion Adesanya has been swatting down contenders.
But Strickland believes he can earn his way to a title shot with a win at the UFC Apex tonight.
"I would like to wait for a title," Strickland told Mirror Fighting in an exclusive chat. "I think Derek Brunson [No.4 contender] beats Jared Cannonier [No.3 contender; the pair fight at UFC 271 next weekend].
"If the UFC thinks Brunson deserves a shot then he deserves a shot, but I'd like to wait for a title.
"I think Cannonier is a great striker but Brunson, that guy can f***ing wrestle!
"Unless you're a savage at takedown defences we see what he does, he puts people on their back and they go to sleep."
First, however, he'll have to get past Swedish contender Jack Hermansson over five rounds tonight in Las Vegas.
The former Cage Warriors champion holds wins over the likes of Kelvin Gastelum and Ronaldo 'Jacare' Souza, both former world champions.
But Strickland believes his intensive training methods, which includes sparring sessions with top light heavyweights, will be enough to see him victorious in the end.
"He likes to f***ing wrestle and s*** like that," Strickland said of his opponent. "He fought my buddy Marvin Vettori.
"He beat my buddy Kelvin Gastelum because Kelvin is a f***ing idiot - he took him down and the one thing you shouldn't f***ing do Kelvin does!
"I'm better than him, I train with way better fighters than this guy, it just comes down to me showing the f*** up and doing what I need to do.
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"If I can't do that then he's going take my arm and tap me like a little b****."
He believes that should he get his wish of a title opportunity, it would likely be against Adesanya, who rematches Robert Whittaker next Saturday in Texas.
The pair fought back in 2019, when the New Zealand fighter unified the division by brutally stopping his Australian rival in Melbourne.
"Probably Adesanya," Strickland responded when asked who feels will win.
"Sometimes you have to acknowledge when someone is genetically better than you, they're just better than you.
"Same as me when I went up to 185, so the only way Whittaker beats Adesanya is he forgets that he's an MMA fighter and fights ugly and dirty.
"There's a chance he gets knocked out, but I don't think Whittaker has the ability to do that."
Sean Strickland fights Jack Hermansson in the main event of UFC Fight Night on BT Sport 2 tonight.
Prelims kick off at 10pm, with the main card beginning at midnight.
