Sean Strickland (UFC) Wiki, Height, Weight, Age, Wife, Family, Biography & More

 

Sean Strickland is a professional American mixed martial artist. He has been competing in mixed martial arts competitions since 2008 and has been the former Middleweight Champion of the King of the Cage. He has competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) in the Middleweight category and has earned the title of UFC Middleweight Champion. As of September 2023, he has been ranked #8 in the UFC men’s pound-for-pound rankings.

Wiki/Biography

Sean Strickland was born on Wednesday, 27 February 1991 (age 32 years; as of 2023) in Tacoma, Washington, USA. His zodiac sign is Pisces.

Strickland faced challenges with an abusive father. Due to home tensions, he was expelled from multiple schools. He started mixed martial arts training at 14 and started competing professionally by 16. Strickland has trained at several gyms, including Millennia MMA Gym since 2014, RVCA Training Center, Syndicate MMA, and Xtreme Couture. He has been training under his coach Eric Nicksick since 2008.

Physical Appearance

Height (approx.): 6′ 1″

Weight (approx.): 84 kg

Hair Colour: Black

Eye Colour: Black

Body Measurements (approx.): Chest: 46″, Waist: 34″, Biceps: 16″

Family

Sean was born into a Neo-Nazi family in California. In an interview, he said

I was really f***** angry. I was so angry I actually went through this weird neo-Nazi, white supremacist phase when I was younger and I got kicked out of school for hate crimes, like all this crazy shit. I was angry and I had a lot of fucked-up influences in my life that it felt so good to fucking hate something. I would walk down the street with like a knife or a rock hoping to kill somebody. And when I started training I’m like man, you’re just f***** angry.” ¹

Parents & Siblings

Sean’s father was an abusive man who used to beat his mother after getting drunk. He died in his 50’s due to Cancer. He talked about his family in an interview by saying,

When I was 18 one day I f****  wake up to them fighting, my mom and my dad fighting. I’m like 18 years old, dropped out of high school, wanted to be an MMA fighter. He was holding my mom in the room saying crazy sh*t like, ‘You’re probably banging your boss, your mom’s banging her boss, your mom’s doing this or doing that.” ²

He has a sister, Kelsi Strickland, who is married.

Wife & Children

Sean is unmarried and has no kids.

Relationship/Affair

Sean supposedly dated a woman in 2022, whom fans have believed to be her girlfriend.

Signature/Autograph

Career

King of the Ring

Protege

Strickland made his professional MMA debut in KOTC: Protege on 22 March 2008. He fought against Tyler Pottett in Laughlin, Nevada, United States. This match was his debut as a welterweight contender and he won the match by Submission (rear-naked choke) in the second round.

Last Resort

Strickland fought against Brandon Ellsworth in the KOTC: Last Resort on 14 March 2009, at Laughlin, Nevada, United States. This time he fought in the Middleweight category and won against Ellsworth in the first round by TKO (punches).

Jolted

On 3 October 2009, he fought William Wheeler at KOTC: Jolted in Laughlin, Nevada, United States. In this match, he made his debut as a Light Heavyweight contender. He won the match in the first round by a submission hold (rear-naked choke) and marked his win in 3 different categories simultaneously.

Long Beach Fight Night 7

On 3 January 2010, he fought George Interiano at the Long Beach Fight Night 7. He decided to continue as a Light Heavyweight fighter and won the match by a unanimous decision.

Underground 63

Strickland had his next fight at KOTC: Underground 63 on 2 October 2010 against Adriel Montes. He won the match by technical knockout in the second round.

Platinum

On 25 November 2010, Strickland made his return to the middleweight category and fought against Donavin Hawkey at the KOTC: Platinum. This match took place in Durban, South Africa, and Strickland won against Hawkey in the first round by a rear-naked choke submission.

Demolition

He next faced Brett Sbardella in the KOTC: Demolition on 6 August 2011 at Walker, Minnesota, United States. He won the match by TKO (punches) in the first round.

Steel Curtain

On 17 December 2011, he faced Brandon Hunt at KOTC: Steel Curtain in Norman, Oklahoma, United States. He won the match by knocking out with rapid punches in the first round. Strickland had a rematch against Brandon Hunt for the KOTC Middleweight Championship at KOTC: Hardcore on 26 April 2012 at Highland, California, United States. Strickland won the fight in the first round by TKO using punches and became the KOTC Middleweight Champion.

Unification

On 8 December 2012, Strickland had his first title defence match against Josh Bryant at KOTC: Unification. He successfully defended and unified the KOTC Middleweight Championship by winning the fight by a split decision.

Restitution

Strickland has his next title-defending match on 7 February 2013, against Bill Albrecht at KOTC: Restitution in Los Angeles, California, United States. He successfully won the match and defended his Middleweight title by knocking out Albrecht in the first round by rapid punches.

Worldwide

On 29 August 2013, he faced Matt Lagler at KOTC: Split Decision in Highland, California, United States. Strickland won the match in the first round by a TKO using punches against Lagler and successfully defended his KOTC Middleweight Champion title once again.

Split Decision

On 5 July 2013, Strickland faced Yusuke Sakashita at the KOTC: Worldwide in Manila, Philippines. He won the match by a unanimous decision and also defended his title once again. After this fight, Strickland made a decision to quit the KOTC and sign a contract with UFC as an undefeated fighter with a 12-0 record.

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC)

On 15 March 2014, Strickland had his first UFC fight at UFC 171 against Bubba McDaniel. He won in the first round using a rear-naked choke. Later, on 31 May 2014, he fought Luke Barnatt at UFC Fight Night 41 and won the fight by split decision.

 

On 22 February 2015, at UFC Fight Night 61, Strickland fought Santiago Ponzinibbio in a welterweight match. He lost after a close contest by unanimous decision. This marked his fight loss in his professional MMA career at 15-1 record. Later, on 15 July 2015, at UFC Fight Night 71, he competed against Igor Araújo and won by unanimous decision. On 21 February 2016, at UFC Fight Night 83, Strickland had his match against Alex Garcia. Strickland won the match by a TKO in the third round. Later the same year, on 4 June 2016, at UFC 199, Strickland faced Tom Breese and won the fight by a close split decision.

Strickland was scheduled to fight Tim Means on 20 August 2016 at UFC 202. But, in early August, he withdrew because of a knee injury. Sabah Homasi, a promotional newcomer, replaced him. Strickland then faced Kamaru Usman on 8 April 2017, at UFC 210, and lost the fight by a unanimous decision.

On 11 November 2017, at UFC Fight Night 120, Strickland fought Court McGee. They had a close three-round fight. Initially, it was announced as a majority draw with scores 30-27, 29-29, and 29-29. Later, an error was found in the scoring by the judges, and Strickland was declared the winner by a unanimous decision.

Strickland had his next fight against Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos on 12 May 2018, at UFC 224. He lost the fight by getting knocked out in the first round. Then, on 27 October 2018, at UFC Fight Night 138, Strickland faced Nordine Taleb and won in the second round by technical knockout. After this match, Strickland’s contract ended, which made him a free agent.

Return from the injury

After a two-year break due to a motorcycle accident, Strickland planned to fight Wellington Turman on 31 October 2020 at UFC Fight Night 181. But on 29 September 2020, Turman withdrew because of his health issues due to COVID-19 after finishing his quarantine on 2 September 2020. Jack Marshman replaced him. During the weight-ins, Marshman was 1.5 pounds over the weight limit. The fight continued as a catchweight fight, with Marshman giving 20% of his earnings to Strickland. He won through a unanimous decision against Marshman.

On 14 November 2020, at UFC Fight Night: Felder vs. dos Anjos, Strickland fought Brendan Allen. He won by technical knockout and received the Performance of the Night award. On 1 May 2021, at UFC on ESPN: Reyes vs. Procházka, Strickland fought Krzysztof Jotko and won the fight by a unanimous decision.

Strickland was set to face Uriah Hall on 7 August 2021 at UFC 265. But on 4 June 2021, their fight was rescheduled to 31 July 2021, headlining UFC on ESPN 28. Before this match, Strickland had a physical disagreement with sparring partner, Orlando Sanchez, over a submission move Strickland found risky. Despite the risks, Strickland was able to defeat Hall by a unanimous decision.

On 6 November 2021, Strickland was set to fight former UFC Middleweight Champion, Luke Rockhold, at UFC 268. But Rockhold pulled out on 11 October due to a herniated disc. Later, on 5 February 2022, at UFC Fight Night 200, Strickland faced Jack Hermansson and won by a split decision. Despite the decision, all 21 media outlets believed Strickland won. However, Judge Sal D’Amato’s decision to score it 48-47 in favour of Hermansson made a significant criticism of the result.

On 30 July 2022, Strickland was set to fight Alex Pereira at UFC 277. The fight was rescheduled to 2 July 2022 at UFC 276, where Strickland was defeated by Pereira in the first round by a technical knockout. He was then scheduled to face Jared Cannonier, on 15 October 2022, at UFC Fight Night 212. However, Strickland withdrew due to a finger infection. The match was rescheduled for 17 December 2022 at UFC Fight Night 216. Strickland lost the fight by a split decision.

On 14 January 2023, Strickland stepped in as a replacement for Kelvin Gastelum to fight Nassourdine Imavov in a light heavyweight match, at UFC Fight Night: Strickland vs. Imavov. Strickland won by a unanimous decision. Then, on 1 July 2023 at UFC on ESPN 48, Strickland defeated Abusupiyan Magomedov in the second round by TKO. This earned him the Performance of the Night bonus for a second time.

UFC Middleweight Championship

Strickland had his title match against Israel Adesanya for the UFC Middleweight Championship on 10 September 2023, at UFC 293. He won the fight by a unanimous decision and it was turned into a major upset, as Adesanya had much favourable bets by fans. This performance earned Strickland his third “Performance of the Night” bonus award.

 

Awards/Titles/Achievements

King of the Cage

• KOTC Middleweight Championship (One time)
  

  Sean won the King of the Cage title belt

• Five successful title defenses

Ultimate Fighting Championship

• UFC Middleweight Championship (One time)
  

  Sean with his UFC title belt

• Performance of the Night (Three times) vs. Brendan Allen, Abus Magomedov, and Israel Adesanya

MMAjunkie.com

• 2020 Comeback Fighter of the Year

Sherdog

• 2020 Comeback Fighter of the Year

Controversy

Strickland’s etiquette lesson’s comments

MMA fighter Strickland made a controversy with his remarks during etiquette lessons. During an interview with comedian and MMA content creator, Nina-Marie Daniele, he aimed to improve his conversational skills. However, the session turned tense. One woman suggested, “Just one simple compliment, and then let me do the rest of the talking.” Strickland provocatively retorted, “But now is the end goal to get laid or why would I do that?” The conversation was changed by Daniele and the other woman to a more sensible one. Strickland, sticking to his viewpoint, challenged them with, “What would I get out of it?” This incident has caused significant controversy among fans and critics. In the same interview, he said,

But now is the end goal to get laid or why would I do that? What would I get out of it?” ³

A willingness to kill someone

In 2021, MMA fighter Strickland made a shocking statement in an interview with MMA reporter Ariel Helwani. He admitted to having thoughts about killing someone and believed that it would give him temporary pleasure. Strickland said he felt this way his whole life and suggested that others might feel the same but don’t advise it to anyone. However, he confirmed that he wouldn’t act on these feelings and harm anyone. ⁴

Sexist comments on women

In a summer 2023 episode, Strickland made a controversy with his views on women’s roles in society. Just after UFC Las Vegas 76, he made a statement suggesting women should be removed from the workforce and also referred to the 1940s and 1950s role of women. He continued by saying that only men should work, demanding increased wages, and building “the wall.” His remarks received widespread criticism. He made a statement by saying,

Only one man needs to be working. I think as a collective man group, we need to elect somebody who is gonna put women back in the kitchen, put one man working, raise the wages, and build the f***ing wall.” ⁵

Strickland’s comments on ‘Nuke’ created a major controversy

Strickland said on Brendan Schaub’s podcast that he wants Russia to use nuclear weapons on the U.S. to make Americans stronger. He thinks Americans are too relaxed and mentioned Starbucks as an example. Many people are upset by his words.

I’m almost hoping Russia f***ing nukes us just so our nuts get a little bigger dude. You guys are too soft. F***ing beta males with f***ing man buns and s**t…” ⁶

Car Collection

• Nissan Pathfinder
  

  Sean’s truck

• Honda Accent
  

  Sean’s Honda Accent

Bike Collection

• DR640 Bigpush Duelsport
  

  Sean’s bike

• Triumph Scrambler 1200
  

  Sean’s Triumph bike

• Harley Davidson Street Bob
  

  Sean on his Harley

Salary/Income

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC)

• UFC 171: W (McDaniel) – $16,000 ($8,000 to show, $8,000 win bonus)

• UFC Fight Night: Munoz vs. Mousasi: W (Barnatt) – $20,000 ($10,000 to show, $10,000 win bonus)

• UFC Fight Night: Bigfoot vs. Mir: L (Ponzinibbio) – $17,000

• UFC Fight Night: Mir vs. Duffee: W (Araujo) – $36,500 ($17,000 to show, $17,000 win bonus, $2,500 Reebok sponsorship)

• UFC Fight Night: Cowboy vs. Cowboy: W (Garcia) – $42,500 ($20,000 to show, $20,000 win bonus, $2,500 Reebok sponsorship)

• UFC 199: W (Breese) – $51,000 ($23,000 to show, $23,000 win bonus, $5,000 Reebok sponsorship)

• UFC 210: L (Usman) – $37,000 ($32,000 to show, $5,000 Reebok sponsorship)

• UFC Fight Night: Poirier vs. Pettis: W (McGee) – $69,000 ($32,000 to show, $32,000 win bonus, $5,000 Reebok sponsorship)

• UFC 224: L (dos Santos) – $39,000 ($34,000 to show, $5,000 fight week incentive pay)

• UFC Fight Night: Volkan vs. Smith: W (Taleb) – $73,000 ($34,000 to show, $34,000 win bonus, $5,000 fight week incentive pay)

• UFC Fight Night: Hall vs. Silva: W (Marshman) – $96,000 ($40,000 to show, $40,000 win bonus, $6,000 from Marshman for missing weight, $10,000 fight week incentive pay)

• UFC Fight Night: Felder vs. dos Anjos: W (Allen) – $144,000 ($42,000 to show, $42,000 win bonus, $50,000 Performance of the Night bonus, $10,000 fight week incentive pay)

• UFC on ESPN: Reyes vs. Prochazka: W (Jotko) – $99,000 ($44,000 to show, $44,000 win bonus, $11,000 fight week incentive pay)

• UFC Fight Night: Hall vs. Strickland: W (Hall) – $131,000 ($60,000 to show, $60,000 win bonus, $11,000 fight week incentive pay)

• UFC Fight Night: Hermansson vs. Strickland: W (Hermansson) – $141,000 ($65,000 to show, $65,000 win bonus, $11,000 fight week incentive pay)

• UFC 293: Strickland vs. Adesanya: W (Strickland) – $1,380,000 ($500,000 purses, win bonus $100,000, $700,000 PPV, and performance bonus $50,000) ⁷

Career Earnings: $2,400,000 ⁸

Net Worth

Sean Strickland has an estimated net worth of $2.4 million. ^{9 10}

Favourites

• Food: Steak and fish

• Bike: DR640 Bigpush Duelsport

Facts/Trivia

• Sean is famous for the nickname “Tarzan” in the octagon.

• Sean enjoys boating and fishing in his free time.
  

  Sean went on fishing

• Sean supports a healthy life and usually makes outrageous comments to promote health and stop the youth from adopting a lazy lifestyle. ¹¹

• He occasionally consumes alcohol and in an interview mentioned his past habit of smoking substances. ¹²
  

  Sean with a bottle of alcohol

• In December 2018, Sean met with an accident while going home on his bike which made him end his career as a professional fighter, but irrespective of doctors’ suggestions, Sean started to compete after his recovery in 2020.

• Sean consumes a non-vegetarian based diet.
  

  Sean having his food

• Sean owns a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. ¹³

• Sean has anger issues and enjoys abusing people during Road rages.

 

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