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Sean Thomas Strickland (born February 27, 1991) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Middleweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is a former UFC Middleweight Champion. A professional since 2008, he is a former Middleweight Champion of the King of the Cage. As of August 19, 2025, he is #3 in the UFC middleweight rankings.

Early life
Sean Strickland grew up in Corona, California, in a household with a physically and mentally abusive father. He has one brother. During Strickland’s early childhood, he attacked his father with a guitar in an attempt to defend his mother out of fear he might kill her. Strickland fled from his house and contacted his local law enforcement leading to his father being briefly arrested. However, the next day his father was released from jail as his mother paid for his bail.

In Strickland’s adolescence, he developed a close relationship with his grandfather, who enforced him with ideologies. In ninth grade Strickland was expelled from school for perpetrating a , wherefore his mother decided to introduce him to MMA, which helped him overcome his racist upbringing. Strickland stated, “Then I started training and the moment I started training I was like...I don’t hate anybody. Everyone’s cool. Then a lot of people who helped me out in my life, they weren’t white.'”

At the age of 18, Strickland had another violent altercation with his father again resulting in police involvement. However, no charges were pressed. Following this event, Strickland and his mother moved out of his father’s house. During a 2024 episode on the This Past Weekend podcast, he revealed that his father had died of cancer after following a long-term addiction to drugs.

Mixed martial arts career
Early career
Strickland made his professional debut in 2008 for the King of the Cage promotion and compiled an undefeated record of 9–0 before facing Josh Bryant in a fight for the King of the Cage Middleweight Championship at KOTC: Unification on December 9, 2012. Strickland won via split decision, and then successfully defended his title three times before being signed by the UFC.

Ultimate Fighting Championship
Strickland made his UFC debut at UFC 171 on March 15, 2014, facing . Strickland won via submission in the first round.

Strickland made his next appearance at UFC Fight Night 41 against on May 31, 2014. Strickland won via split decision. 11 out of 11 media outlets scored the bout for Barnatt.

Strickland faced Santiago Ponzinibbio in a welterweight bout on February 22, 2015, at UFC Fight Night 61. Strickland lost the back and forth fight via unanimous decision.

Strickland faced Igor Araújo on July 15, 2015, at UFC Fight Night 71. He won the fight by unanimous decision.

Strickland faced Alex Garcia on February 21, 2016, at UFC Fight Night 83. After a back-and-forth first two rounds, Strickland won the fight via TKO in the third round.

Strickland next faced on June 4, 2016, at UFC 199. He won the fight via split decision.

Strickland was expected to face on August 20, 2016, at UFC 202. However Strickland pulled out of the fight in early August citing a knee injury. He was replaced by promotional newcomer .

Strickland faced on April 8, 2017, at UFC 210. He lost the fight via unanimous decision.

Strickland faced on November 11, 2017, at UFC Fight Night 120. This fight was back and forth for all three rounds and was initially announced a majority draw with scores of 30-27, 29-29, and 29-29. After the fight it was revealed there was an error in calculating the judges' scorecards and Strickland was declared the winner by unanimous decision.

Strickland faced Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos on May 12, 2018, at UFC 224. He lost the fight via knockout in the first round.

Strickland faced on October 27, 2018, at UFC Fight Night 138. He won the fight via technical knockout in the second round. Strickland became a free agent after the fight by fighting out his contract.

Return from injury
Returning from a two-year layoff after a motorcycle accident, Strickland was scheduled to face Wellington Turman on October 31, 2020, at UFC Fight Night 181. However on September 29, Turman pulled out due to COVID-19 that rendered him unable to train after his two-week quarantine ended on September 2, and he was replaced by . At the weight-ins, Marshman weighed in at 187.5 pounds, one and a half pounds over the middleweight non-title fight limit. The bout proceeded at catchweight and Marshman was fined 20% of his purse, which went to Strickland. Strickland won the fight via unanimous decision.

As a result of contracting COVID-19, Strickland replaced Heinisch on short notice and faced on November 14, 2020 in a 195 lb catchweight bout, at . He won the fight via technical knockout. This win earned him the Performance of the Night award.

Strickland faced on May 1, 2021, at . He won the bout via unanimous decision.

Strickland was expected to face on August 7, 2021, at UFC 265. However on June 4, 2021, the bout with Hall was moved to headline UFC on ESPN 28 on July 31, 2021. During his training camp in the build up to this fight, he got into a physical altercation with sparring partner Orlando Sanchez, who he accused of trying to injure him. Strickland defeated Hall via unanimous decision.

Strickland was scheduled to face former UFC Middleweight Champion on November 6, 2021, at UFC 268. However, on October 11, Rockhold withdrew due to a herniated disc.

Strickland faced on February 5, 2022, at UFC Fight Night 200. He won the fight via split decision. 21 out of 21 media outlets scored the fight for Strickland. Judge Sal D'Amato, who scored the fight 48-47 for Hermansson, received widespread criticism for his scorecard. Strickland was scheduled to face on July 30, 2022, at UFC 277. However, the promotion moved the pairing to UFC 276 on July 2, 2022. Strickland lost the fight via knockout in the first round.

Strickland was scheduled to face on October 15, 2022, at UFC Fight Night 212. However, the bout was scrapped after Strickland withdrew due to a finger infection. The pair was re-booked for UFC Fight Night 216 on December 17, 2022. Strickland lost the fight via split decision.

In a quick turnaround, Strickland faced Nassourdine Imavov, replacing in a light heavyweight bout on January 14, 2023, at . He won the fight via unanimous decision.

Strickland faced Abusupiyan Magomedov on July 1, 2023 at UFC on ESPN 48. Strickland won the fight via TKO in the second round. This win earned him the Performance of the Night award.

UFC Middleweight Championship
Strickland faced for the UFC Middleweight Championship on September 10, 2023, at UFC 293. He won the fight via unanimous decision in what was considered a major upset, as Adesanya was a 7/1 betting favorite. The win also earned Strickland his third Performance of the Night bonus award.

Strickland had his first title defense against Dricus du Plessis on January 20, 2024 at UFC 297. The pair were in attendance at UFC 296 on December 16, 2023, seated within two rows of each-other by arrangement. While exchanging words, Strickland gestured for audience members to move and attacked du Plessis. The brawl was quickly broken up and Strickland was escorted out of the event. Strickland lost the fight via split decision. 13 out of 24 media outlets scored the bout for du Plessis. This fight earned him the Fight of the Night award.

Post championship
Strickland faced on June 1, 2024, at UFC 302. He won the fight by split decision. Twenty-four media outlets unanimously scored the fight in favor of Strickland.

Strickland competed for the UFC Middleweight Championship in a rematch against current champion Dricus du Plessis on February 9, 2025 at UFC 312. He lost the fight by unanimous decision.

Strickland is scheduled to face former LFA Middleweight Champion Anthony Hernandez in the main event on February 21, 2026 at UFC Fight Night 267.

Fighting style
Fighting in a notably upright, , Sean Strickland is distinguished for his defensive striking. This is evident in the UFC’s official Significant Strike Defense statistic, where he boasts a 61.3% defense rate—the highest among active fighters in the middleweight division.

UFC commentator stated regarding Sean Strickland’s defense, “He spars more than anybody in the UFC and they put a mouthpiece that measures how many times you get hit. He gets hit less than anyone and he’s got phenomenal defense.”

Central to Strickland’s defensive approach is his incorporation of the Philly Shell guard, referring to the positioning of the lead hand on the lower torso and the back hand closer to the side of the face. This allows Strickland to fight defensively by using the as well as parrying strikes and actively checking kicks.

Offensively, Sean Strickland prefers to utilize his boxing within his fights. Strickland applies pressure by constantly walking forwards and forcing his opponents into boxing range, in which he then applies jabs often in volume and followed by a right cross.

Strickland generally applies his wrestling defensively to great effect, with a high takedown defense statistic of 76%. Strickland may pursue top position to engage in powerful ground and pound.

Personal life
In December 2018, Strickland was hit by a car while he was riding a motorcycle in Los Angeles, rendering him unconscious. He suffered numerous injuries and needed a knee operation after the accident.

Strickland was an avid supporter of ; however, in February 2025, Strickland questioned some of Trump's pro-Israel views and began wondering if it was a "mistake" re-electing him. On June 19, 2025, Strickland made a statement on Twitter, claiming that the alleged reason " says death to the" is because of "how many countries we have bombed and invaded in the last 50 years?!" including past operations in , , Afghanistan, and Syria.

He is an atheist.

Comments on LGBT issues and women's rights
In January 2022, Strickland responded to a question on , "If I had a son I would think I failed as a man." During the press conference for UFC 297, Strickland responded to a reporter asking about his previous comments, as well as criticizing Canadian prime minister handling of the Canada convoy protest and 's advertising campaign featuring influencer .

On January 18, 2024 at UFC 297 media day, when a reporter mentioned Strickland's controversial tweet, Strickland responded:

You’re part of the big problem, a spineless creature who asks me stupid questions. Just ten years ago, being trans meant you were , but people like you suddenly decided to change everything. You are an infection, you are the definition of weakness—everything wrong that happens to this world is because of you. The good thing is that the world didn't buy into this—it didn't buy into this nonsense and that you are pushing. There are , and I don't want my children to be taught in school what their preferences should be. This guy is the fucking enemy! Look at the enemy of our world—here he is, sitting right here and asking his stupid questions.

Strickland has made a number of controversial comments about women and women's rights, one of which was calling the decision to grant women the right to vote, an error. He has also commented negatively about Women's MMA. In an interview, he said "Sure, have women’s MMA, have it be a thing. I don’t like to watch it. I don’t think most people like to watch it. If the female MMA was to separate from the male MMA no-one’s going to watch that shit".

Suspension at Tuff-N-Uff event
Sean Strickland was indefinitely suspended by the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) on July 3, 2025. This decision extends a temporary suspension he received after a melee at a Tuff-N-Uff event on June 29, 2025. The altercation occurred immediately after a bout where Luis Hernandez defeated Miles Hunsinger by guillotine choke. Following his win, Hernandez reportedly taunted Hunsinger's coaches, including Strickland, with a "crotch chop", leading to Strickland's involvement in the physical altercation with Hernandez. On August 21, Strickland received a six-month suspension from the NSAC and was fined $5,000. The suspension is retroactive from the time of the incident and is set to expire on December 29, 2025. It can be reduced to four and half months if he completes an anger management course.

Championships and accomplishments
  • Ultimate Fighting Championship
    • UFC Middleweight Championship (One time)
    • (One time)
    • (Three times)
    • Third lowest bottom position percentage in UFC Middleweight division history (1.0%)
    • Second most significant distance strikes landed in UFC history (2019)
    • Most significant strikes landed in UFC Middleweight division history (1465)
      • Third most significant strikes landed in UFC history (2216)
      • Fourth most total strikes landed in UFC Middleweight division history (1528)
    • Second most strikes landed-per-minute in UFC Middleweight division history (6.19)
    • Longest average fight time in UFC Middleweight division history (18:11)
    • Most significant strikes attempted in a UFC Middleweight bout (428) (vs. )
      • Third most significant strikes attempted in a UFC Middleweight bout (400) (vs. )
    • Most significant strikes attempted in a UFC Light Heavyweight bout (405) (vs. Nassourdine Imavov)
      • Most total strikes attempted in a UFC Light Heavyweight bout (420) (vs. Nassourdine Imavov)
    • Most significant head strikes landed in a UFC Middleweight bout (173) (vs. )
    • Most significant strikes landed in a UFC Middleweight title bout (173) (vs. Dricus du Plessis 1)
    • Tied ( & ) for third fastest turnaround to win two fights (14 days in 2020)
    • Tied for third most split decision wins in UFC history (4)
    • UFC Honors Awards
      • 2023: President's Choice Performance of the Year Nominee
    • UFC.com Awards
      • 2023: Ranked #4 Fighter of the Year & Ranked #2 Upset of the Year
  • King of the Cage
    • KOTC Middleweight Championship (One time)
      • Five successful title defenses
  • The Sporting News
    • 2023 Men's Fighter of the Year
    • 2023 Upset of the Year
  • New York Post
    • 2023 Upset of the Year
    • 2020 Comeback Fighter of the Year
    • 2023 Male Fighter of the Year
    • 2020 Comeback Fighter of the Year
  • World MMA Awards
    • 2023 First Team MMA All-Star
    • 2023 Most Improved Fighter
    • 2023 Most Improved Fighter of the Year
    • 2023 Most Lopsided Upset of the Year
  • LowKick MMA
    • 2023 Fighter of the Year
    • 2023 Upset of the Year
    • 2023 #4 Ranked Fighter of the Year
  • Combat Press
    • 2023 Male Fighter of the Year
  • Cageside Press
    • 2023 Male Fighter of the Year
    • 2023 Upset of the Year

Mixed martial arts record
|- |Loss |align=center|29–7 |Dricus du Plessis |Decision (unanimous) |UFC 312 | |align=center|5 |align=center|5:00 |, Australia | |- |Win |align=center|29–6 | |Decision (split) |UFC 302 | |align=center|5 |align=center|5:00 |Newark, New Jersey, United States | |- |Loss |align=center|28–6 |Dricus du Plessis |Decision (split) |UFC 297 | |align=center|5 |align=center|5:00 |Toronto, Ontario, Canada | |- |Win |align=center|28–5 | |Decision (unanimous) |UFC 293 | |align=center|5 |align=center|5:00 |, Australia | |- |Win |align=center|27–5 |Abusupiyan Magomedov |TKO (punches) | | |align=center|2 |align=center|4:20 |, , United States | |- |Win |align=center|26–5 |Nassourdine Imavov |Decision (unanimous) | | |align=center|5 |align=center|5:00 |, , United States | |- |Loss |align=center|25–5 | |Decision (split) | | |align=center|5 |align=center|5:00 |, , United States | |- |Loss |align=center|25–4 | |KO (punches) |UFC 276 | |align=center|1 |align=center|2:36 |, , United States | |- |Win |align=center|25–3 | |Decision (split) | | |align=center|5 |align=center|5:00 |, , United States | |- |Win |align=center|24–3 | |Decision (unanimous) | | |align=center|5 |align=center|5:00 |, , United States | |- |Win |align=center|23–3 | |Decision (unanimous) | | |align=center|3 |align=center|5:00 |, , United States | |- |Win |align=center|22–3 | |TKO (punches) | | |align=center|2 |align=center|1:32 |, , United States | |- |Win |align=center|21–3 | |Decision (unanimous) | | |align=center|3 |align=center|5:00 |, , United States | |- |Win |align=center|20–3 | |TKO (punches) | | |align=center|2 |align=center|3:10 |, , Canada | |- |Loss |align=center|19–3 |Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos |KO (spinning wheel kick and punches) |UFC 224 | |align=center|1 |align=center|3:40 |Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | |- |Win |align=center|19–2 | |Decision (unanimous) | | |align=center|3 |align=center|5:00 |Norfolk, Virginia, United States | |- |Loss |align=center|18–2 | |Decision (unanimous) |UFC 210 | |align=center|3 |align=center|5:00 |Buffalo, New York, United States | |- |Win |align=center|18–1 | |Decision (split) |UFC 199 | |align=center|3 |align=center|5:00 |Inglewood, California, United States | |- |Win |align=center|17–1 |Alex Garcia |KO (punches) | | |align=center|3 |align=center|4:25 |Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States | |- | Win | align=center| 16–1 | Igor Araújo | Decision (unanimous) | | | align=center| 3 | align=center| 5:00 | San Diego, California, United States | |- | Loss | align=center| 15–1 | Santiago Ponzinibbio | Decision (unanimous) | | | align=center| 3 | align=center| 5:00 | , Brazil | |- | Win | align=center| 15–0 | | Decision (split) | | | align=center| 3 | align=center| 5:00 | , Germany | |- | Win | align=center| 14–0 | | Submission (rear-naked choke) | UFC 171 | | align=center| 1 | align=center| 4:33 | Dallas, Texas, United States | |- | Win | align=center| 13–0 | Matt Lagler | TKO (punches) | KOTC: Split Decision | | align=center| 1 | align=center| 4:59 | Highland, California, United States | |- | Win | align=center| 12–0 | Yusuke Sakashita | Decision (unanimous) | KOTC: Worldwide | | align=center| 5 | align=center| 5:00 | , Philippines | |- | Win | align=center| 11–0 | Bill Albrecht | KO (punch) | KOTC: Restitution | | align=center| 1 | align=center| 2:41 | Los Angeles, California, United States | |- | Win | align=center| 10–0 | Josh Bryant | Decision (split) | KOTC: Unification | | align=center| 3 | align=center| 5:00 | Highland, California, United States | |- | Win | align=center| 9–0 | Brandon Hunt | TKO (punches) | KOTC: Hardcore | | align=center| 1 | align=center| 3:24 | Highland, California, United States | |- | Win | align=center| 8–0 | Brandon Hunt | TKO (punches) | | | align=center| 1 | align=center| 3:48 | Norman, Oklahoma, United States | |- | Win | align=center| 7–0 | Brett Sbardella | KO (punches) | | | align=center| 1 | align=center| 1:03 | Walker, Minnesota, United States | |- | Win | align=center| 6–0 | Donavin Hawkey | Submission (rear-naked choke) | | | align=center| 1 | align=center| 1:21 | , South Africa | |- | Win | align=center| 5–0 | Adriel Montes | TKO (punches) | | | align=center| 2 | align=center| 1:05 | Laughlin, Nevada, United States | |- | Win | align=center| 4–0 | George Interiano | Decision (unanimous) | Long Beach Fight Night 7 | | align=center| 3 | align=center| 5:00 | Long Beach, California, United States | |- | Win | align=center| 3–0 | William Wheeler | Submission (rear-naked choke) | | | align=center| 1 | align=center| 1:55 | Laughlin, Nevada, United States | |- | Win | align=center| 2–0 | Brandon Ellsworth | TKO (punches) | | | align=center| 1 | align=center| 1:28 | Laughlin, Nevada, United States | |- | Win | align=center| 1–0 | Tyler Pottett | Submission (rear-naked choke) | | | align=center| 2 | align=center| 1:53 | Laughlin, Nevada, United States | |-

Pay-per-view bouts
1.UFC 293Adesanya vs. StricklandSeptember 10, 2023Qudos Bank Arena, AustraliaNot Disclosed
2.UFC 297Strickland vs. du PlessisJanuary 20, 2024Toronto, Ontario, CanadaNot Disclosed
3.UFC 312du Plessis vs. Strickland 2February 9, 2025Qudos Bank Arena, AustraliaNot Disclosed

See also
  • List of current UFC fighters
  • List of male mixed martial artists

External links
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