Sean Strickland has always shared a complicated relationship with the Diaz brothers. At times, the former middleweight champion has praised them as legends. At others, ‘Tarzan’ has openly taken shots at them. Last year, Strickland even questioned their mental health, calling them “mentally f—ed up” on X. But with Nick Diaz finally making his return, the ex-185-pound king seemed genuinely starstruck. 

The Stockton legend spent nearly a year in rehab and treatment in Mexico. Last week, Diaz shocked the MMA world by showing up at Xtreme Couture alongside longtime friend and former UFC fighter Jake Shields. Coincidentally, Sean Strickland has also been training at the same gym as he prepares to face Anthony Hernandez at the Houston Fight Night event on February 21. With both men under the same roof, ‘Tarzan’ could not help himself from asking Diaz for a scrap.

Sean Strickland shares a surprise moment with Nick Diaz at Xtreme Couture

“I’m not asking how old. All these guys, bro, they are brothers, bro. Every time you talk to them, they’re always ready to scrap. Dude, I ain’t attacking you, bro,” the former middleweight champ said in a video uploaded by Fightback MMA on Instagram. 

That was classic Strickland! Direct, awkward, and completely honest. He asked a legend for a sparring session without hesitation. But while the 34-year-old Nevada native wanted to train with the Stockton slugger, he also showed real respect. Moreover, Strickland admitted he grew up watching Diaz fight while shadowboxing in his living room.

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“Well, the moral of the story is, when I was a kid, I used to watch it, bro. I’d be in my f–ing boxing shorts in my living room watching you scrap, dog. Yeah, that was dope, dude,” Strickland added, which the 42-year-old former UFC fighter answered, “Now I watch you, I appreciate it.”

With Nick Diaz already sharing a sparring session with Jake Shields after his return, it would not be surprising if he also ends up training with Strickland. Still, while the former 185-pound champion focuses on his upcoming fight, he has also delivered a fiery rant against another ex-champion, seemingly shutting the door on a potential superfight.  

‘Tarzan’ rules out fighting chances against Robert Whittaker 

For a long time, UFC fans wanted to see Sean Strickland square up against Robert Whittaker. Both former champions flirted with the possibility of that matchup, but it never materialized. Still, ‘The Reaper’ remained interested and even showed interest last year in fighting ‘Tarzan’ at the White House event. While it sounded like a real possibility, Strickland made it clear he had little interest in that clash.

“I don’t want Whittaker. I beat Whittaker, there’s no title shot ahead of that. It doesn’t do anything. Gatekeeper fighter, but it doesn’t do anything for me….The good thing about ‘Fluffy’ is guy’s on like a 50-fight winning streak. You’re next in line. He’s like the American [Khamzat] Chimaev. That’s the fight. That’s the next title fight,” Strickland told the Kairouz Bros.

Both the American and the Aussie are coming off losses. However, the difference is that ‘Tarzan’ dropped his last bout in a championship rematch against Dricus du Plessis at UFC 312, while ‘The Reaper’ suffered a razor-close decision loss to Reinier de Ridder. 

Because of that, Strickland believes he stands closer than Whittaker to another title opportunity. And if he secures a win over Hernandez in the Houston headliner, he could realistically earn a shot at Chimaev in a highly anticipated grudge match. Still, with the UFC being as unpredictable as ever, the promotion could always take a different route and make the Whittaker matchup happen.

That said, with Sean Strickland recently sharing a moment with Nick Diaz, do you think the Stockton native could corner him at the Fight Night event while representing Xtreme Couture? Let us know in the comments section below.