Comedian Preacher Lawson recently revisited his now-infamous sparring session with former UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland, and the story quickly went viral. But after Lawson joked that Strickland clipped him in the back of the head, the UFC star jumped into the comments to set the record straight.
During a recent comedy set, Lawson told fans about the time he sparred with Strickland at Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas. The clip racked up over 1.4 million views, largely because Lawson claimed Strickland hit him in the back of the head and sent him flying across the cage.
Lawson painted the picture perfectly. He said he felt confident early on — until he suddenly felt himself airborne.
He also joked about the intensity of the former champion, telling the audience:
“I think if Sean Strickland wasn’t an MMA fighter, he’d be a serial killer. The only reason I feel that way is because in an interview he said, ‘If I wasn’t an MMA fighter, I’d be a serial killer.’”
After catching wind of the routine, Strickland responded in the comments with his signature unfiltered tone:
“Couple things….. 1. You’re big and black, I just assumed you were a bada– boxer… 2. You kept putting your head down and the only shot was behind your ear which was clean……. But I was right about one thing!!!! You are big and black.”
Strickland insisted he didn’t land any illegal shots. According to him, Lawson kept ducking his head, and the only available punch landed cleanly behind the ear, not to the back of the head.
Lawson responded with humor, posting footage from the actual sparring session, a clip Strickland himself had previously shared. The video appears to show Lawson getting blasted backward across the cage, and from one angle, the punch looks dangerously close to the back of the head.
“Everything you said in the comment was true. I am black, I’ve been black my whole life, I think I’m stuck like this. Never say never but I’m pretty sure I’m black my whole life.
“You did say that you hit behind the ear which is legal, that is true. You did not hit me in the back of the head, I made that up, I made it up because I thought it’d be funny and I didn’t think you’d see it and because you said you didn’t want to hit me in the back of the head but that was the only thing open.
“I think you said that on your story of a video someone tagged you in of it looking like you hit me in the back of the head, which you didn’t. I know. It looks like you did, though. It looks like you hit me so hard I went into your next story on Instagram, but that’s not true.”
Lawson clearly leaned into the comedy. He exaggerated. He poked fun. He made it entertaining — just like he always does.
Strickland ultimately responded with a simple:
“My bad, lol.”
The entire situation traces back to Lawson’s visit to Xtreme Couture, where he joined a team sparring session. Lawson, who trains in mixed martial arts recreationally, said Strickland specifically sought him out before the rounds began.
Adding another layer to the bit, Lawson joked that Strickland called him a “gay guy” because he wore a shirt promoting a plant-based vegan lifestyle. Lawson clarified during the routine that he was “actually vegan,” and according to the joke, Strickland replied, “That’s what I said.”
In the end, the Lawson vs. Strickland saga feels more like mutual banter than bad blood. Lawson did what great comedians do, he amplified the story for laughs. Strickland did what Strickland does, he answered bluntly.
