Sean Strickland says MMA tops every sport, takes another shot at soccer

Sean Strickland recently ranked various sports by their perceived masculinity, placing mixed martial arts at the top and using the ranking as another opportunity to criticize soccer.

According to the two-time UFC middleweight champion (31-7), MMA stands alone as the manliest sport, followed by other combat disciplines like kickboxing and boxing. Strickland views wrestling as less masculine than striking arts but more so than most other sports. His full ranking places rugby, hockey, American football, baseball, and lacrosse ahead of soccer, with golf and swimming rounding out the bottom.

Strickland's soccer criticism intensified following the FIFA World Cup final, where he took aim at players for faking injuries and exaggerating contact. "How are you a grown ass man faking being hit?" Strickland questioned. "Do you feel no shame when you fake being injured?" The middleweight champion has made his disdain for soccer known on multiple occasions, contrasting what he sees as the sport's theatrical nature with combat sports' authenticity.

Strickland's recent accomplishments have bolstered his platform for such commentary. He pulled off a stunning upset at UFC 328 in May, dethroning Khamzat Chimaev to capture the middleweight title for the second time. Chimaev has been pursuing a rematch, though other contenders like Nassourdine Imavov and Dricus Du Plessis—who holds two wins over Strickland—are also being considered for title opportunities.