Sean Strickland: two-time UFC middleweight champion | Ultimate Fighter Reunion

Why fans still care

SEAN STRICKLAND is a boxer in an MMA fighter’s body. He stands in front of people, jabs all night and makes them fight his fight. Hardly anyone gave him a chance against Israel Adesanya in Sydney in 2023, and he won the belt. When he lost it, he came back and took it again from Khamzat Chimaev.

Early life

He grew up in California. He says MMA “literally saved my life”, and he left school early to chase it. “I dropped out of high school to be a UFC fighter,” he told UFC.com.

Getting started

He turned professional in March 2008 with a rear-naked choke of Tyler Pottett at King of the Cage, and won his first 13 fights across King of the Cage and Long Beach Fight Night. Along the way he won the King of the Cage middleweight title. He made his UFC debut at UFC 171 in March 2014, submitting Bubba McDaniel in the first round.

Career chapters

1. 2008Professional debut at King of the Cage
2. 2014UFC debut at UFC 171
3. 2020Returns after two years away and starts a winning run
4. 2023Beats Israel Adesanya in Sydney for the UFC middleweight title
5. 2024Loses the title to Dricus du Plessis in Toronto
6. 2025Loses the rematch to du Plessis in Sydney
7. 2026Beats Khamzat Chimaev to win the title again

Building in the UFC 2014 to 2022

His first years in the UFC brought wins over Luke Barnatt, Tom Breese, Court McGee and Nordine Taleb, and losses to Santiago Ponzinibbio, Kamaru Usman, Who’s Who number 28 and Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos. After two years away he returned on 31 October 2020 with a decision over Jack Marshman. Wins over Brendan Allen, Krzysztof Jotko, Uriah Hall and Jack Hermansson followed. In 2022 he lost to Alex Pereira, Who’s Who number 36 and Jared Cannonier, then won twice in 2023 to earn a title shot.

Sydney 2023

On 9 September 2023 at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney he fought Israel Adesanya, Who’s Who number 23 for the UFC middleweight title. CBS Sports had Adesanya as nearly a 7-1 favourite. Strickland dropped him with a right in the first round and outworked him behind the jab, winning 49-46 on all three cards. “Am I dreaming? Am I going to wake up?” he said in the cage. UFC.com and Sherdog called it one of the biggest title upsets in UFC history.

Losing it and winning it back 2024 to 2026

He lost the title to Dricus du Plessis on a split decision at UFC 297 in Toronto in January 2024, a fight that won Fight of the Night. He beat Paulo Costa in June 2024 and lost the rematch with du Plessis in Sydney in February 2025. In February 2026 in Houston he stopped Anthony Hernandez in the third round with a knee to the body and punches. On 9 May 2026 at UFC 328 in Newark he beat champion Khamzat Chimaev on a split decision to become a two-time UFC middleweight champion.

Style, technique and the corner

How he fights

“I’m a boxer who is an MMA fighter,” he told UFC.com. Against Adesanya he fought out of a modified Philly shell with a high guard, a jab and constant pressure, and never tried a takedown. Sherdog called his stand-up defence “virtually bulletproof”. The jab is the main weapon, and nearly all of his significant strikes land standing. He also holds a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, and he kept getting back up against Chimaev’s takedowns.

Teams and gyms

Eric Nicksick, head coach at Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas, was in his corner for the Adesanya fight. UFC.com’s current profile lists Millennia MMA in Rancho, California.

Stories people still tell

1. The upset.

   He went to Sydney as a big underdog and left with the belt.

2. Thirteen and none.

   He won his first 13 professional fights before he reached the UFC.

3. Twice a champion.

   He lost the title, then beat the man who held it to win it back.

Legacy

He is a two-time UFC middleweight champion, and his win over Adesanya is counted among the biggest title upsets in UFC history. He is still the champion and still fighting.