Uriah Hall fell short in his attempt to pick up his fifth straight win as he suffered a unanimous decision loss against Sean Strickland at UFC Vegas 33 in an exciting five rounds at UFC APEX. In the process, Strickland registered his fifth straight win and could find himself in the top-10 of the UFC’s middleweight rankings. While there were moments for Uriah Hall, it won’t be wrong to say that it was an all-around performance from Strickland, who dominated the seasoned veteran and looked in complete control of the fight.
Let’s break down what went wrong for Uriah Hall against Sean Strickland in the main event of UFC Vegas 33.
Uriah Hall failed to control the pace of the fight against Sean Strickland
Uriah Hall looked too slow and complacent against a very aggressive Sean Strickland. In the lead-up to the fight, Hall had stated that he doesn’t like “wars” considering he is a “sniper.” However, an aggressive Strickland completely dominated Hall with his elusive movements, his quick jabs, and his ability to keep the pace of the first round throughout the course of the five rounds.
Strickland was not reckless either and capitalized only on the moments that presented to him. Additionally, his ability to take the shots and still charge forward overwhelmed a patient striker like Uriah Hall, who felt the pressure of Strickland throughout the five rounds of the fight.
“I’ll fight Francis [Ngannou] for the right dollar amount. He would knock me out, but I would do it.”
Sean Strickland will scrap for cash ???? #UFCVegas33 pic.twitter.com/YQu5kZhu76
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) August 1, 2021
Hall just couldn’t maintain the pace of the fight and left Strickland to take the center of the Octagon and control the momentum of the fight. Needless to say, just patience wasn’t enough to take on someone as dangerous and experienced as Strickland who looked at nothing but to put on a statement in the first main event of his MMA career inside the UFC Octagon.
Uriah Hall 37 years of age, may not have what it takes to become a champion right now, however, it’s safe to say that he is still a contender who is credible enough to put a challenge against the very best that the division has to offer.