UFC on ESPN 48 Press Conference: Sean Strickland Is Animated And Ready

The UFC on ESPN 48 press conference went about as expected — Sean Strickland grabbed a microphone, did little to censor himself and stole the UFC press conference. This has become the norm for any event Strickland is a part of; even if he’s not fighting in the main event, he’s the main event of the media events.

The Strickland vs Magomedov press conference hosted some familiar faces and some relatively new ones. One of those newer faces is half of the main event itself. Abusupiyan, with only 19 seconds of fight time in the UFC, is already headlining a main event. For more on this media event and UFC on ESPN 48 news, we’ve got you covered down below.

Strickland vs Magomedov Press Conference: Sean Strickland Goes Off The Rails

Well, if there weren’t any sound bites that the UFC could go without, was it really a Sean Strickland media event? Strickland, the bigger name in this main event spot, did that thing where he’s asked a question and he goes way off of the rails for a bit. He’s a lot more comfortable on the mic now. Is that good or bad? As a fan, it’s fun; as the UFC’s PR team, I’d imagine it’s a headache.

Strickland talked about his matchup against ‘Abus’ and mentioned that he really didn’t know who Magomedov was going into this bout. However, it was either take this fight or face up to an eight month long layoff, which isn’t very great for the wallet.

Strickland have us this answer with a bit of brevity for a change. That is, before he switched to a tangent about the title picture:

“I’ll fight anybody if the money is right.”

So, it seems that the UFC made it worth Sean’s while and here we have this weekend’s main event.

UFC on ESPN 48 Press Conference: Magomedov Looks To Shock The World

(R-L) Sean Strickland punches Nassourdine Imavov in their 5-round bout at UFC Apex for UFC Fight Night – Vegas 67 – Strickland vs Imavov – Event on January 14, 2023 in Las Vegas, NV, USA. Photo by Louis Grasse/PxImages/ABACAPRESS.COM – Photo by Icon sport

“[Strickland] is a tough guy, tough opponent. He has a lot of experience [in] five round fights; he already fought against really tough guys. But, Saturday night will be my night.”

Though Sean Strickland is the ranked opponent here and the one with a lot more experience in the UFC, ‘Abus’ is not short on confidence nor is he delusional to the Strickland is a tough fight. Magomedov just knows that he’s fight his way here and he’s not going to let this opportunity slip without giving his all.

At the Strickland vs Magomedov press conference, we saw a very calm and composed ‘Abus’ answering questions very candidly. At one point in this UFC press conference, he was asked if his sophomore outing in the UFC being a main event added an pressure. He responded very openly about how it may be adding a bit of pressure, but if the UFC believes he’s ready, then he’s ready.