A champ-champ recently experienced a full-circle moment with the former UFC middleweight champion.
Sean Strickland claims he was banned from attending UFC 323 earlier this month having not been able to fight due to a suspension.
His enforced break from the Octagon will come to an end in the new year when he returns to face Anthony Hernandez in Houston, Texas on February 21.
It’s well known that he loves to spar, as evidenced by Strickland fighting three guys at once in recently released footage.
One of the many fighters that he has spent time in the cage with was significantly impacted by their session, only for this to end up being a pivotal moment in his career.
Will Fleury recently reunited with Sean Strickland following a pivotal moment in his career
Will Fleury received praise from Conor McGregor after becoming a two-weight champion in less than a year of being signed to OKTAGON.
However, just two weeks away from his debut in April of 2024, the Irishman suffered a hand injury when sparring with Sean Strickland in Las Vegas.
He made the decision to proceed with the fight and was able to pull off a submission win, which led him down the remarkable path that he’s been on ever since.
Working alongside Johnny Walker meant that Fleury recently crossed paths with Strickland in Vegas for the first time since he left shortly after his injury.
Fleury, who has also trained with Ateba Gautier ahead of his title defense at OKTAGON 81 on December 28, spoke to Bloody Elbow in a recent interview about this moment.
“We went down to the gym and we just did a couple of rounds together and right after the rounds, he was like, ‘Ah man, it’s great to have you back,’ and we gave each other a bit of a hug or whatever,” Fleury shared. “It’s kind of mad the way this has all worked out unbelievably well. I’ve come back a year and a half later as a double champ.”
The 36-year-old praised Strickland for trying to help him after the injury happened, recalling how happy the former UFC champion was when he told him he’d be going ahead with the fight despite his hand.
“To have him be as supportive as he was over that space of time… it meant a lot to me,” Fleury said. “It was a cool buzz and I was very proud of it.”
Will Fleury now faces a fighter who achieved a lot of success inside the Octagon
Will Fleury has been motivated in recent years by showing people what he is capable of now that he’s finally getting opportunities that he deserves.
The Irishman may not have competed in the UFC, but beating someone who did well in the promotion is a big box for the defending champion to tick off on December 28.
At the O2 Arena in Prague this Sunday, he will face former UFC heavyweight Martin Buday, who went 7-1 in the promotion before controversially departing earlier this year.
News
🎰 54 Japanese Tried to Execute One American — He Killed Them All in 7 Minutes
At 07:30 on September 18th, 1944, Private First Class Arthur Jackson pressed his body against a coral outcrop on Peleliu Island, watching Japanese machine gun fire tear apart the Marines to his left. 19 years old. 3 days on this island, zero confirmed kills. The Japanese had built 12 reinforced concrete pillboxes in a half-moon […]
🎰 The Untold Truth: The White House Was Built by Slaves – Forgotten History of America’s Founders
Between 1,792 and 1,800, more than 400 enslaved men, women, and children built what would become the most recognizable building in the United States. Their names were erased from the record on purpose. Their graves lie unmarked across the District of Columbia. For over two centuries, the government insisted these omissions were not mistakes, they […]
🎰 1964: Ra*ist Man Insults Wife and Daughter of Bumpy Johnson, What Happens Next Shocks New York!
MANHATTAN, NEW YORK. It was 2:47 p.m. on Saturday, October 10th, 1964, when May Johnson, 58, and her daughter Ruthie Johnson, 29, walked through the brass and glass doors of Bergman and Sterling. The exclusive Fifth Avenue boutique catered to Manhattan’s wealthiest families and had only recently, reluctantly, begun serving black customers after years of […]
🎰 An Incredible Story of Young prisoner who Made the Nazis Pay for his Suffering – Joseph Schleifstein
The 8th of April, 1945, about five miles northwest of the city of Weimar, Nazi Germany. Buchenwald camp prisoners, using a secret short-wave transmitter and small generator, send the Morse code message: “To the Allies. To the army of General Patton. This is the Buchenwald concentration camp. SOS. We request help. They want to evacuate […]
🎰 Bumpy Johnson’s Secret Guardian—The Cleaning Lady Who Stopped an Assassination
“November 15th, 1966. Bumpy Johnson was supposed to die that night. The contract had been signed. The money had been paid. The assassin had been chosen. Everything was in place. Carmine Persico’s people had given the order. Frank Costello’s remaining allies wanted revenge. The Italian mafia had decided Harlem’s king had lived long enough.” “But […]
🎰 After 30 Years On The Streets, This Homeless Man Discovered His True Identity Thanks To A Police Off
“For more than 30 years, Mike Meyers lived on the streets of California, doing whatever he could just to make it through each day. Tired and worn down by the relentless sun, Meyers often found himself in trouble with the law in Alama County for asking strangers for change. Still, he risked both his safety […]
End of content
No more pages to load
