Sean Strickland has never been the type to sit in the VIP section and wave from a distance. The two-time UFC middleweight champion lives by a different code, and a recent video making the rounds on social media is proof of that.
Filmed at the beach, Strickland can be seen hitting the sand with a fan for an impromptu grappling session. The fan made his move first, attempting a takedown, but Strickland quickly countered with a whizzer to establish top position. From there, the fan rolled and inadvertently gave up his back, which Strickland used to execute a RNC. The tap came shortly after.
Sean Strickland wrestling on the beach choking dudes out 😅
Via ian.n67 & sloanbird pic.twitter.com/3a90ECbjYH
— Red Corner MMA (@RedCorner_MMA) June 30, 2026
Strickland returned to the top of the 185 lbs (84 kg) division in May at UFC 328, where he handed Khamzat Chimaev the first loss of his career to reclaim the middleweight title. No official announcement has been made regarding his next opponent, though Chimaev has made clear he wants another shot.
Outside of competition, Strickland has continued to show up in unexpected places. Craig Jones, the decorated submission grappling specialist and training partner, recently appeared on the Jits and Giggles podcast and shared the story of how their friendship developed. According to Jones, the two first connected at a UFC event where they happened to be seated near each other,.
“Sean was screaming at him to give him real advice,” Jones recalled of a chaotic moment involving David Goggins working a corner. The two later trained together at Xtreme Couture, and Jones offered a candid summary of Strickland’s personality: “A guy that will say crazy things and then immediately walk it back.”
Jones also described helping convince a hesitant Strickland to attend the UFC Freedom rally in Washington D.C., a story that required just the right phrase to get things moving. “The triggering word I said to him was, ‘You call yourself an American,'” Jones said. That was enough.
