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UFC middleweight contender Sean Strickland was previously known for his infamous sparring sessions. But recently, “Tarzan” engaged in one with a random fan who showed up at their facility at Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas. Safe to say, it was a more tamed session than in previous encounters.
Sean Strickland spars with a fan
As he explained in the video below, Sean Strickland met an MMA fan named Johnny, whom he says showed him a few moves. He then dared the young man to come spar with him, which the latter agreed to. Johnny said he has some experience street fighting, but “not in the ring.”
“So this is Johnny. I met Johnny walking. And he was showing me some cool shadow-boxing shit. And I was like, ‘Bro, you should come train.’
“I didn’t think Johnny would show up, but Johnny showed up. Johnny might be on drugs.”
To his credit, Strickland did ask Johnny about his preferred sparring intensity and he did match the same level of heat he took. But he did drop Johnny twice during what appears to be a short session.
Sean Strickland’s sparring history
Sean Strickland became notorious for his previous sparring sessions. In 2021, things got heated between him and late Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu legend Orlando Sanchez. Sanchez torqued Strickland’s arm outwards while in an underhook, causing the latter to lash out at what he deemed as a “dick move.”
A few months later, another sparring video involving Strickland made the rounds online. This time, he was seen going hard with former PFL champion Emiliano Sordi.
But recently, Sean Strickland did show some form of growth as a training partner, as seen in his sessions with ex-champion Alex Pereira. Here’s what the controversial middleweight had to say about his sparring experience with “Poatan.”
“Here’s the thing about Alex (Pereira). I can spar Alex and go point for point. I can hit him, I can kick him. But the difference is, the man touches you and you just f–king die,” said Strickland, who lost to Pereira via first-round knockout at UFC 276.
Likewise, Pereira had nothing but positive words for his former opponent.
“I was surprised with his high level on the ground. He surprised me. People say his style is kind of weird. People say that about me, too.
“After training with him, I’m starting to get it. They are things that work. He taught us some things that I’ll practice for sure because I saw that they are very effective.”
Sean Strickland’s next fight
The 32-year-old Strickland will make his next Octagon appearance this weekend as the headliner of UFC Vegas 76 against Dagestan native Abusupiyan Magomedov. And Pereira is picking him to win.
“I think his next fight will be a great one, but I’m betting on Strickland, because I could see how much he works. He doesn’t stop.
“Sometimes we’re in a situation that makes me think ‘Ok, now he’s going to stop. He’s going to give up.’ He doesn’t give up, though. Even on the feet. He’s a constant hassle. He gives you no room to breathe.
“He’s always on you. He’s well-rounded, but his ground game is what surprised me the most, because he never shows it. I could see a little bit of it this week.”
Strickland (26-5) will look to extend his win streak to two, coming from his previous decision victory against Nassourdine Imavov in his light heavyweight debut in January.
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