Why was Sean Strickland so mad?

You’ve all probably seen the video doing the rounds of Sean Strickland doing a bit of “light” sparring at the RVCA training center with ADCC alumni Orlando Sanchez.

They’re going light, no gloves, only grappling. Updating the software without damaging the hardware to borrow a phrase from Conor McGregor. Sanchez, who has mixed with some of the most elite grapplers in the world engages in a tie up and tries to work in a shoulder crank. Sean Strickland did not like that…

Strickland throws a spinning backfist with a bit of Spanish on it and a kick to the body for good measure, mind you they’re not sparring at this point. So what did Orlando Sanchez do to make Sean Strickland that mad? Lets have a look…

The Shoulder Crank

Probaly the best example of the shoulder crank in competition, in MMA at least, is when Jon Jones defended his belt against Glover Texeira back in 2014 at UFC 172 . We all know Jones loves to pot shot at range, early in his reign as champion it was his go to. His oblique kicks and his open hands were the stuff of nightmares, but he showed some new looks in the Texeira fight. He went into the pocket, bobbing and weaving and sinking shots to the body. He also had this at his disposal…

During Texiera’s initial run at the Light Heavyweight title, he was marketed as having this devastating right hand. So it made sense in Jon’s mind to take this weapon out completely. Its one of those moves you’d see in an old self defense manual and once something like that works all the traditionalists come out to claim it as their own. Silat, Japanese Jiu-Jitsu, and dagger fighting have their own way of doing the crank. That is just naming a few styles, its not that its banned or that its “too lethal for the Octagon and should be saved for the street” its more that tearing your training partners labrum is pointless and as Strickland puts it “a dick move”. Grappling is hard enough on the body even without the shoulder cranks.

You can see where Strickland is coming from, he is set to face Uriah Hall at UFC Fight Night on July 31 so he needs the use of his shoulder. He seems to be fine though, he has laughed it off on Instagram and he and Sanchez seem to be square.

“Soo who was the bigger c*nt here? Me or [Sanchez]??!?! Lol And yes there will be a rematch Friday lol!!!”