Former UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland is finally opening up about why his rematch with Dricus du Plessis didn’t go as planned.
It has been nearly a year since fans last saw Sean Strickland compete inside the Octagon. Sidelined since his loss to du Plessis at UFC 312, the outspoken former champion is set to return in a high-stakes main event against Anthony Hernandez at UFC Houston. With the middleweight division wide open, the winner could find themselves next in line for a title shot.
Looking back, 2025 proved to be a turbulent year for Strickland. Between a lengthy NSAC suspension following a viral brawl at a Las Vegas MMA event and a second straight loss to du Plessis, questions swirled around his future and readiness to contend at the top again. According to Strickland, however, the full story behind that defeat never came out, until now.
In a recent interview, Sean Strickland revealed he entered UFC 312 severely compromised due to a serious shoulder injury.
“Before the Dricus fight, I was riding with Axell Hodges and I broke my shoulder,” Strickland said.“I was in Colombia getting stem cells on my shoulder, and they hit me up for the fight. The thing with the UFC, you don’t say no. They are our pimps. You don’t say no to the master. I was backed up into a corner taking that fight.”
Despite the injury, Strickland accepted the bout, a decision that may have cost him another chance at UFC gold. Du Plessis went on to defeat him convincingly, solidifying his edge in their rivalry.
Now fully healed, Sean Strickland says the time away from competition has done wonders for his body and mindset.
“So taking this time off to let my body heal has been amazing,” Strickland said.“The shoulder feels f—— great. I do miss fighting and I miss performing, but it’s been nice to be a fat, lazy piece of s— for a while.”
The layoff Strickland referenced included a six-month suspension that ended in December. The suspension stemmed from a post-fight altercation at a Tuff-N-Uff event in Las Vegas, where Strickland entered the cage following a submission loss by his teammate. With that chapter behind him, Strickland has already locked in his return for early 2026.
While Sean Strickland was on the sidelines, the middleweight title picture shifted again. Du Plessis attempted another defense but suffered a lopsided loss to Khamzat Chimaev, whose relentless wrestling overwhelmed him over five rounds. Strickland believes that style remains one of the biggest challenges in MMA today.
“I already called it with DDP,” Strickland said.“These guys come at you a thousand percent. They don’t get tired. They don’t stop. But once you push back and keep fighting, they start breaking. You saw it with Gilbert Burns. If you don’t let them rag-doll you, it changes everything.”
As he prepares for his showdown with Hernandez, Strickland understands why contenders are eager to test themselves against him. A win over “Tarzan” still carries serious weight in the division.
“The good thing about ‘Fluffy’ is the guy’s on a crazy win streak,” Strickland said.“You’re next in line. He’s like the American Chimaev. That’s the fight. That’s the next title fight.”
With his shoulder healed and his suspension behind him, Sean Strickland believes he’s finally in position to remind the division, and the UFC, exactly who he is.
