Sean Strickland found himself in another off-cage controversy after storming the cage at Tuff-N-Uff 145 and throwing punches at a fighter who disrespected him.
The incident happened at The Theatre at The Sahara in Las Vegas during a middleweight bout between Miles Hunsinger and Luis Hernandez. Strickland, who was cornering Hunsinger alongside Chris Curtis, didn’t hesitate when things turned hostile.
Hernandez submitted Hunsinger in the second round with a standing guillotine. Moments after the win, he taunted Strickland and Curtis with a vulgar crotch chop and called out Strickland by name. That was all it took.
Strickland and Curtis charged into the cage. While Curtis tried to hold Hernandez back, Strickland landed a clean punch, followed by another swing before stepping back. Chaos erupted as fighters, officials, and security scrambled to defuse the melee.
cThe Nevada State Athletic Commission, which oversees the event, could impose disciplinary action on Strickland, especially if he held a corner license that night. For the first time since the scuffle went viral, Strickland gave his side of the story on Instagram.
“So after the fight, you guys see me corner guys all the time. I’m the first one to shake their hand and say, ‘I wish you well, on to the next one.’ But after the fight, this guy comes up to me, calls me by name—‘Strickland’—calls me a bitch, says he’s going to fuck me up,” Strickland said.
“Does the hand gesture… As a man, I’m not capable not to answer that. If I walk down the street, if I leave my house and somebody says that, my soul will not allow that to not go unanswered. I cannot do it, I cannot fucking do it.”
“If I could go back, would I just not corner the fight? Would I not put myself in that situation? Yes. But I just don’t have the ability to let a man talk to me like that. Who I am as a person, I will never allow that. So it is what it is, man.”
Strickland’s track record outside the Octagon has been anything but quiet. He’s made headlines for sparring knockouts, altercations with influencers like Sneako and Nick Nayersina, and controversial remarks aimed at various groups and media figures.
This latest outburst could impact his fighting future. With the Nevada commission involved, suspension or sanctions remain on the table. As of now, neither the UFC nor Tuff-N-Uff has released a formal statement.
Strickland hasn’t fought since his UFC 312 title loss to Dricus Du Plessis. Before that, he edged out Paulo Costa at UFC 302. His loss to du Plessis was followed by a brief public spat with longtime coach Eric Nicksick, who criticized his performance that night. The two have since patched things up, but Strickland’s next move remains unclear.
Despite the chaos, Strickland continues to stand on who he is, unapologetic, raw, and always ready to answer disrespect with fists.
