Sean Strickland is an American professional mixed martial artist known for his career in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC)'s Middleweight division. He holds the title of former UFC Middleweight Champion and previously held the middleweight championship in the King of the Cage organization. As of early 2024, he is ranked highly in both the UFC middleweight and pound-for-pound rankings.
February 27, 1991: Birth of Sean Strickland
Sean Strickland was born on February 27, 1991.
2008: Early Career in King of the Cage
Sean Strickland began his professional MMA career with the King of the Cage promotion in 2008, achieving an undefeated record of 9-0.
2008: Professional MMA Debut
Sean Strickland began his professional mixed martial arts career in 2008.
December 9, 2012: King of the Cage Middleweight Champion
Sean Strickland won the King of the Cage Middleweight Championship on December 9, 2012, after defeating Josh Bryant via split decision. He would go on to defend the title three times.
March 15, 2014: UFC Debut and Victory
Sean Strickland made his UFC debut on March 15, 2014, at UFC 171 against Bubba McDaniel. He won the fight via rear-naked choke submission in the first round.
May 31, 2014: Victory Against Luke Barnatt
Sean Strickland faced Luke Barnatt at UFC Fight Night 41 on May 31, 2014, and secured a win via split decision.
February 22, 2015: Loss to Santiago Ponzinibbio
On February 22, 2015, at UFC Fight Night 61, Sean Strickland lost to Santiago Ponzinibbio via unanimous decision in a welterweight bout.
July 15, 2015: Victory Against Igor Araújo
Sean Strickland won his fight against Igor Araújo via unanimous decision at UFC Fight Night 71 on July 15, 2015.
February 21, 2016: Victory Against Alex Garcia
On February 21, 2016, at UFC Fight Night 83, Sean Strickland faced Alex Garcia. After a close fight during the first two rounds, Strickland won via TKO in the third round.
June 4, 2016: Victory Against Tom Breese
At UFC 199 on June 4, 2016, Sean Strickland faced Tom Breese, winning the fight via split decision.
August 20, 2016: Withdrawal from UFC 202
Sean Strickland withdrew from his fight against Tim Means at UFC 202 scheduled for August 20, 2016, due to a knee injury. Sabah Homasi replaced him.
April 8, 2017: Loss to Kamaru Usman
On April 8, 2017, Sean Strickland fought Kamaru Usman at UFC 210, resulting in a loss via unanimous decision.
November 11, 2017: Victory Against Court McGee
Sean Strickland's bout against Court McGee at UFC Fight Night 120 on November 11, 2017, initially resulted in a majority draw. However, due to an error in the judges' scorecard calculations, Strickland was later declared the winner by unanimous decision.
2017: Sean Strickland's Father Passes Away
In 2017, Sean Strickland experienced the loss of his father, who died at the age of 50 due to cancer. Strickland revealed that his father had subjected both him and his mother to physical and psychological abuse.
May 12, 2018: Loss to Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos
Sean Strickland lost to Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos via knockout in the first round at UFC 224 on May 12, 2018.
October 27, 2018: Victory Against Nordine Taleb
Sean Strickland won against Nordine Taleb at UFC Fight Night 138 on October 27, 2018, via technical knockout in the second round. This win also marked the end of his contract, making him a free agent.
December 2018: Motorcycle Accident
Sean Strickland was involved in a motorcycle accident in December 2018 when he was struck by a car in Los Angeles. The accident left him unconscious and resulted in multiple injuries, necessitating a knee operation.
October 31, 2020: Return to the UFC and Victory Against Jack Marshman
After a two-year layoff due to a motorcycle accident, Sean Strickland returned to the UFC on October 31, 2020, at UFC Fight Night 181. Originally scheduled to face Wellington Turman, Strickland's opponent changed to Jack Marshman due to Turman's COVID-19 sequelae. Marshman missed weight, making the bout a catchweight, and Strickland won via unanimous decision.
November 14, 2020: Performance of the Night: Victory Against Brendan Allen
On November 14, 2020, Sean Strickland stepped in on short notice to face Brendan Allen at UFC Fight Night: Felder vs. dos Anjos in a 195 lb catchweight bout after Ian Heinisch contracted COVID-19. Strickland won the fight via TKO and earned the Performance of the Night award.
May 1, 2021: Victory Against Krzysztof Jotko
Sean Strickland won against Krzysztof Jotko at UFC on ESPN: Reyes vs. Procházka on May 1, 2021, via unanimous decision.
June 4, 2021: Fight Reschedule Against Uriah Hall
The fight between Sean Strickland and Uriah Hall, originally planned for UFC 265 on August 7, 2021, was rescheduled for UFC on ESPN 28 on July 31, 2021.
July 31, 2021: Victory Against Uriah Hall
On July 31, 2021, at UFC on ESPN 28, Sean Strickland defeated Uriah Hall via unanimous decision. This followed a training camp altercation where Strickland accused sparring partner Orlando Sanchez of trying to injure him.
August 7, 2021: Fight Reschedule Against Uriah Hall
Sean Strickland's fight against Uriah Hall, originally scheduled for UFC 265 on August 7, 2021, was moved to headline UFC on ESPN 28 on July 31, 2021.
November 6, 2021: Fight Cancellation Against Luke Rockhold
The fight between Sean Strickland and former UFC Middleweight Champion Luke Rockhold, scheduled for November 6, 2021, at UFC 268, was canceled due to Rockhold's herniated disc.
January 2022: Controversial Tweet and Suspension
In January 2022, Sean Strickland sparked controversy with a tweet stating, "If I had a gay son I would think I failed as a man." This ignited backlash, and in May 2022, Strickland's Twitter account was suspended due to inflammatory remarks he made concerning LGBT topics leading up to Pride Month.
February 5, 2022: Controversial Victory Against Jack Hermansson
Sean Strickland won against Jack Hermansson via split decision at UFC Fight Night 200 on February 5, 2022, in a bout that garnered attention for the judges' scoring. Despite 21 out of 21 media outlets scoring the fight for Strickland, judge Sal D'Amato scored it 48-47 for Hermansson, leading to widespread criticism.
July 2, 2022: Loss to Alex Pereira
On July 2, 2022, at UFC 276, Sean Strickland lost to Alex Pereira via knockout in the first round.
July 30, 2022: Fight Reschedule and Relocation Against Alex Pereira
Sean Strickland's fight against Alex Pereira, initially planned for UFC 277 on July 30, 2022, was rescheduled to July 2, 2022, and moved to UFC 276.
October 15, 2022: Fight Postponement Against Jared Cannonier
The bout between Sean Strickland and Jared Cannonier, originally scheduled for October 15, 2022, at UFC Fight Night 212, was postponed due to Strickland withdrawing because of a finger infection.
December 17, 2022: Loss to Jared Cannonier
On December 17, 2022, at UFC Fight Night 216, Sean Strickland lost to Jared Cannonier via split decision in a rescheduled bout.
January 14, 2023: Victory Against Nassourdine Imavov
Sean Strickland faced Nassourdine Imavov in a light heavyweight bout at UFC Fight Night: Strickland vs. Imavov on January 14, 2023, replacing Kelvin Gastelum on short notice. He won the fight via unanimous decision.
July 1, 2023: Performance of the Night: Victory Against Abusupiyan Magomedov
Sean Strickland won against Abusupiyan Magomedov at UFC on ESPN 48 on July 1, 2023, via TKO in the second round. This victory earned him his second Performance of the Night award.
September 10, 2023: UFC Middleweight Championship Victory Against Israel Adesanya
Sean Strickland achieved a significant upset victory against Israel Adesanya at UFC 293 on September 10, 2023, winning the UFC Middleweight Championship via unanimous decision. This victory was considered a major upset, with Adesanya entering the fight as a 7/1 betting favorite, and it earned Strickland his third Performance of the Night bonus award.
December 16, 2023: Altercation with Dricus du Plessis at UFC 296
An altercation occurred between Sean Strickland and Dricus du Plessis at UFC 296 on December 16, 2023, while they were seated near each other, an arrangement made by Dana White. Strickland initiated a physical confrontation, leading to a brawl that was quickly stopped, and Strickland's removal from the event.
January 18, 2024: Strickland Addresses Controversial Tweet at UFC 297 Media Day
During the UFC 297 media day on January 18, 2024, a reporter brought up Sean Strickland's previous controversial tweet. In response, Strickland addressed the tweet and further criticized Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's approach to the Canada convoy protest and Bud Light's advertising campaign featuring transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney.
January 20, 2024: Fight of the Night: Loss to Dricus du Plessis
Sean Strickland lost his UFC Middleweight Championship title to Dricus du Plessis on January 20, 2024, at UFC 297, via split decision in a bout that earned him the Fight of the Night award.
January 23, 2024: #1 UFC Middleweight Ranking
As of January 23, 2024, Sean Strickland is ranked #1 in the UFC middleweight rankings.
April 16, 2024: #14 UFC Men's Pound-for-Pound Ranking
On April 16, 2024, Sean Strickland reached #14 in the UFC men's pound-for-pound rankings.
June 1, 2024: UFC 302: Strickland vs. Costa
On June 1, 2024, Sean Strickland fought against Paulo Costa at UFC 302, securing a victory by split decision.