Sean Strickland

Sean Strickland is an American MMA fighter who is a former UFC World Middleweight Champion (185 lbs.). Strickland, known for his controversial takes and highly technical fighting style, was born on February 27, 1991, in Anaheim, California, U.S.A. He clinched the UFC middleweight title by defeating the former long-time UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya in a convincing fashion at UFC 293 on September 10, 2023, but lost it in his first title defense against Dricus du Plessis at UFC 297.

Before joining the UFC, Strickland was the former King of the Cage Middleweight Champion. He made his promotional debut in the UFC at UFC 171 on March 15, 2014. Strickland is currently ranked as the No. 3 middleweight contender.

Sean Strickland Personal Information

Name	Sean Thomas Strickland
Age	34
DOB	February 27, 1991
Nationality	American
Profession	Professional MMA Fighter
Net Worth	$5 million (estimated)
Height	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight	185 lb (84 kg)
Relationship Status	In a relationship with KJ

Sean Strickland Early Life

Sean Strickland was born on February 14, 1991, in Anaheim, California, U.S. He endured a tumultuous childhood marked by an abusive father. In his early years, he defended his mother from his father's aggression, leading to the latter's brief arrest. Despite legal intervention, Strickland's father was released on bail the next day.

During adolescence, Strickland embraced his grandfather's neo-Nazi views, influenced by the film American History X. Expelled for committing a hate crime in ninth grade, his life took a turn when his mother introduced him to an MMA gym, exposing him to diverse perspectives.

The camaraderie he experienced while training motivated him to abandon his previously held ideas. At 18, Strickland had another violent encounter with his father, prompting him and his mother to move away from the abusive environment.

Sean Strickland Personal Life

Sean Strickland shares a close bond with his mother, despite minimal interaction since his childhood. Other than fighting, he is also an avid biker. In December 2018, he was involved in a crash when a car struck him while riding a motorcycle in Los Angeles, leaving him unconscious and necessitating a knee operation due to various injuries.

Despite Strickland's controversial opinions about women, he openly shares that he has discovered love and is immensely content in his relationship with his girlfriend, KJ.

Sean Strickland Girlfriend

In the UFC Embedded Series on YouTube, Sean Strickland's girlfriend is referred to by her initials, KJ. While details about her personal and professional life remain undisclosed, Strickland's coach, Erik Nicksick, emphasized in an interview that she played a crucial role in maintaining Strickland's calm demeanor at UFC 293. This composed state of mind contributed to Strickland's success, ultimately helping him to secure the UFC middleweight championship.

Sean Strickland Social Media

Sean Strickland maintains his presence on social media platforms like Instagram and X (formerly known as Twitter). His Instagram page is filled with posts of his training montages, fight promotions, interview snippets, and controversial takes. Strickland boasts a massive follower count of over 2.4 million on Instagram and over 673.9K on X.

Sean Strickland Net Worth

As of April 2025, Sean Strickland's net worth is estimated to be around $5 million. Strickland has experienced a substantial increase in his fighter pay over the past year, primarily attributed to his status as a former UFC champion.

Sean Strickland Endorsements

Sean Strickland has made multiple endorsement agreements during his career, expanding his brand partnerships with many brands. Some of them include Monster Energy, Full Violence, The Gun Store (Las Vegas), XILE, and Nitrocross.

Sean Strickland MMA Record

Sean Strickland has a professional MMA record of 29 wins and seven losses as of April 19, 2025. He has won 11 fights by knockout, four by submission, and 14 by decision. On the other hand, Strickland has suffered two losses by knockout and five by decision as of date.

Sean Strickland Losses

Sean Strickland has suffered seven losses in his professional MMA career as of April 19, 2025.

Santiago Ponzinibbio (UFC Fight Night: Bigfoot vs. Mir)

Sean Strickland faced Santiago Ponzinibbio at UFC Fight Night on February 22, 2015, in Porto Alegre, Brazil. He suffered his first professional MMA loss in the fight by losing via a unanimous decision.

Kamaru Usman (UFC 210)

Sean Strickland squared off against the former UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman at UFC 210 on April 8, 2017, in Buffalo, New York, USA. Usman defeated him by a unanimous decision and handed him his second loss of his career.

Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos (UFC 224)

Sean Strickland faced a formidable opponent in Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos at UFC 224 on May 12, 2018, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Zaleski defeated him via a first-round KO handing Strickland his third professional loss of his career.

Alex Pereira (UFC 276)

Sean Strickland faced Alex Pereira at UFC 276 on July 2, 2022. Pereira defeated him by a first-round KO to win the fight and hand him his fourth professional loss of his career.

Jared Cannonier (UFC Fight Night: Cannonier vs. Strickland)

Sean Strickland took on Jared Cannonier at UFC Fight Night on December 17, 2022, in Las Vegas, Nevada. Cannonier defeated him by a split decision, handing him the fifth professional defeat of his career.

Dricus du Plessis (UFC 297)

Sean Strickland shared the octagon with Dricus du Plessis at UFC 297 to defend his middleweight championship. The fight ended in a split decision loss for Strickland in which he lost his belt and suffered the sixth loss of his professional career.

Dricus du Plessis (UFC 302)

Sean Strickland met Dricus du Plessis at UFC 302 on February 9, 2025, in a middleweight title rematch. Du Plessis won the fight by a unanimous decision and Strickland suffered the seventh loss of his career.

Last updated on April 19, 2025