Sean "Tarzan" Strickland, an MMA fighter from Anaheim, California, is a former UFC middleweight champion, having won the title from Israel Adesanya at UFC 293. Known for his controversial persona, Strickland endured a difficult upbringing in an abusive household.
He launched his professional career in 2008 with King of the Cage, amassing a perfect 9-0 record before facing Josh Bryant for the King of the Cage Middleweight Championship at KOTC: Unification on December 9, 2012. Strickland won by split decision and defended the belt three times before joining the UFC.
Strickland's UFC debut came on March 15, 2014, at UFC 171, where he defeated Bubba McDaniel via first-round rear-naked choke. After compiling a UFC record of 15 wins and 5 losses, Strickland earned a title shot at UFC 293 against Adesanya. Despite being the underdog, he secured a dominant unanimous decision victory to claim the middleweight belt.
Unfortunately, Strickland lost the belt in his first title defense against the South African fighter Dricus du Plessis at UFC 297 on January 20, 2024. The California native’s next outing is at UFC 302 against the 7th-ranked middleweight Paulo Costa on June 1, 2024.
Sean Strickland UFC Record
Sean Strickland holds a record of 15 wins and 6 losses in the UFC, with 11 of his wins coming via knockout (15-6-0). Throughout his professional MMA career, Strickland has compiled a respectable record of 28 wins, and 6 losses (28-6-0). The Californian’s last outing was against Dricus du Plessis at UFC 297 on January 20, 2024. In this bout, he lost the UFC middleweight title via a razor-close split decision.
| Result | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location |
| Loss | 28–6 | Dricus du Plessis | Decision (split) | UFC 297 | January 20, 2024 | 5 | 5:00 | Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Win | 28–5 | Israel Adesanya | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 293 | September 10, 2023 | 5 | 5:00 | Sydney, Australia |
| Win | 27–5 | Abusupiyan Magomedov | TKO (punches) | UFC on ESPN: Strickland vs. Magomedov | July 1, 2023 | 2 | 4:20 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States |
| Win | 26–5 | Nassourdine Imavov | Decision (unanimous) | UFC Fight Night: Strickland vs. Imavov | January 14, 2023 | 5 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States |
| Loss | 25–5 | Jared Cannonier | Decision (split) | UFC Fight Night: Cannonier vs. Strickland | December 17, 2022 | 5 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States |
| Loss | 25–4 | Alex Pereira | KO (punches) | UFC 276 | July 2, 2022 | 1 | 2:36 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States |
| Win | 25–3 | Jack Hermansson | Decision (split) | UFC Fight Night: Hermansson vs. Strickland | February 5, 2022 | 5 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States |
| Win | 24–3 | Uriah Hall | Decision (unanimous) | UFC on ESPN: Hall vs. Strickland | July 31, 2021 | 5 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States |
| Win | 23–3 | Krzysztof Jotko | Decision (unanimous) | UFC on ESPN: Reyes vs. Procházka | May 1, 2021 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States |
| Win | 22–3 | Brendan Allen | TKO (punches) | UFC Fight Night: Felder vs. dos Anjos | November 14, 2020 | 2 | 1:32 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States |
| Win | 21–3 | Jack Marshman | Decision (unanimous) | UFC Fight Night: Hall vs. Silva | October 31, 2020 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States |
| Win | 20–3 | Nordine Taleb | TKO (punches) | UFC Fight Night: Volkan vs. Smith | October 27, 2018 | 2 | 3:10 | Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada |
| Loss | 19–3 | Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos | KO (spinning wheel kick and punches) | UFC 224 | May 12, 2018 | 1 | 3:40 | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil |
| Win | 19–2 | Court McGee | Decision (unanimous) | UFC Fight Night: Poirier vs. Pettis | November 11, 2017 | 3 | 5:00 | Norfolk, Virginia, United States |
| Loss | 18–2 | Kamaru Usman | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 210 | April 8, 2017 | 3 | 5:00 | Buffalo, New York, United States |
| Win | 18–1 | Tom Breese | Decision (split) | UFC 199 | June 4, 2016 | 3 | 5:00 | Inglewood, California, United States |
| Win | 17–1 | Alex Garcia | KO (punches) | UFC Fight Night: Cowboy vs. Cowboy | February 21, 2016 | 3 | 4:25 | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States |
| Win | 16–1 | Igor Araújo | Decision (unanimous) | UFC Fight Night: Mir vs. Duffee | July 15, 2015 | 3 | 5:00 | San Diego, California, United States |
| Loss | 15–1 | Santiago Ponzinibbio | Decision (unanimous) | UFC Fight Night: Bigfoot vs. Mir | February 22, 2015 | 3 | 5:00 | Porto Alegre, Brazil |
| Win | 15–0 | Luke Barnatt | Decision (split) | UFC Fight Night: Muñoz vs. Mousasi | May 31, 2014 | 3 | 5:00 | Berlin, Germany |
| Win | 14–0 | Bubba McDaniel | Submission (rear-naked choke) | UFC 171 | March 15, 2014 | 1 | 4:33 | Dallas, Texas, United States |
Has Sean Strickland ever been a UFC champion?
Yes, Sean Strickland is a former UFC middleweight champion. He won the belt as an underdog against Israel Adesanya at UFC 293 on September 10, 2023. Adesanya, heavily favored, began the fight with effective kicks and feints, but Strickland’s aggressive style soon took over. In the first round, Strickland hurt Adesanya with a powerful right hand, nearly finishing him before the bell. Adesanya recovered in the second round, landing precise strikes, but Strickland’s pressure remained constant.
Throughout the fight, Strickland's relentless forward movement and solid defense stifled Adesanya’s offense. By the third and fourth rounds, Strickland was landing the more significant strikes, keeping Adesanya on the back foot. In the fifth and final round, Strickland’s intensity did not wane, as he continued to land jabs and overhand rights, sealing his dominant performance. The judges scored the fight 49-46 in favor of Strickland, crowning him the new UFC middleweight champion in a shocking upset.
Also Read: Who is Stricklands' coach?
FAQs on Sean Strickland's UFC Record
A. 28 wins, and 6 losses (28-6-0).
A. Sean Strickland maintains a UFC record of 15 wins and 6 losses (15-6-0).
A. Sean Strickland's next fight will see him squaring off against Paulo Costa on June 1, 2024.
A. Sean Strickland competes in the middleweight division and weighs 185 lbs or 84 kg.
A. Sean Strickland defeated Israel Adesanaya at UFC 293 via a unanimous decision.
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