Sean Strickland receives warm welcome from Xtreme Couture team
· Yahoo Sports
Sean Strickland returned to his home gym Xtreme Couture with a UFC title for the second time, and received a warm welcome from his coaches and training partners.
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At UFC 328, Strickland pulled off a big upset split decision over previously undefeated Khamzat Chimaev to reclaim the middleweight title. It was the second time Strickland prevailed as an underdog to win the title, having done so first against Israel Adesanya at UFC 293.
Monday, Strickland returned to Xtreme Couture with the UFC title in hand, and shared a few words with his team after his victory.
"I want to thank you guys – I'm pretty f*cked up, I'm gonna need a few weeks off," Strickland said. "I wouldn't be here without you guys, seriously. ... It's not just my belt, it's our belt."
A few of Strickland's teammates also spoke in the moment, praising Strickland's dedication to his craft.
"Bro, that's just the culmination of hard work," Brad Tavares said.
"Hard work, dedication, consistency – he's a true leader," Edmen Shahbazyan said.
"I really appreciate your process, you as a person," Kai Kamaka said. "Truly an inspiration to my son. I was never champion yet, but he's seen a world champion twice. ... Last night he was playing UFC, beating up Brad with uncle Sean."
Xtreme Couture head coach Eric Nicksick also gave some words of encouragement as the team prepares to take on the challenges that are to come in the future.
"It takes a village, man," Nicksick said. "We're not here without you guys. I hope you understand that this is a very important ecosystem. Without the guys within this room, we don't have the ability to continue to grow and help you guys grow along with us. This is the testament to a team. Love every one of you guys. That belt, like Sean said, belongs to us.
"With that being said, this is not the endgame. No one gives a f*ck now. It's what's next. It's Monday, we start again fresh today. You guys got it?"
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Sean Strickland receives warm welcome from Xtreme Couture team