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UFC's new Middleweight champion Sean Strickland upset the odds by handing Israel Adesanya one of the greatest upsets in recent years in the UFC.
Sean Strickland recently made the headlines over a famous upset in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).
The 32-year-old American defeated Nigerian-New Zealand star Israel Adesanya on September 10, 2023, at UFC 293 to become the new UFC middleweight champion.
Strickland had gone into the contest as the underdog but managed to deliver against the odds as he bossed and bullied around the Last Stylebender who was forced to give up his title again for the second time in the space of 10 months.
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05:35 - 10.09.2023
Israel Adesanya: Sean Strickland beats Nigerian star at UFC 293 to become Middleweight champion
Adesanya's reign as champion is over!!! Sean Strickland defeats Izzy at UFC 293 to become Middleweight champion
05:35 - 10.09.2023
Israel Adesanya: Sean Strickland beats Nigerian star at UFC 293 to become Middleweight champion
Adesanya's reign as champion is over!!! Sean Strickland defeats Izzy at UFC 293 to become Middleweight champion
In this article, Pulse Sports will reveal key details about Sean Strickland, the man who made a lightwork of one of the UFC’s greatest Middleweights of all time.
Sean Strickland: 13 Facts about UFC’s new Middleweight champion
1. Who is Sean Strickland?
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Sean Strickland is an American mixed martial artist who currently competes in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is the current UFC Middleweight Champion.
Strickland has been professional competitor since 2008. He is also the former King of the Cage Middleweight Champion.
2. How old is Sean Strickland?
Sean Strickland was born February 27, 1991, in Anaheim, California, U.S.
The names and details of the UFC star’s parents remain unknown to the public.
As of September 2023, Strickland is 32 years old.
3. He grew up in an abusive home
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Sean Strickland had a disturbed upbringing as he grew up in an abusive home.
He never lived in peace in his house in Corona, California, due to his constant altercations with an alcoholic father every day.
The UFC middleweight champion once shed light on his relationship with his abusive father in an interview with Brendan Schaub.
“My father, abusive, alcoholic, drunk, you know. Got on pills later on. Everything about him, I hated. Yes, everything about him. I hated my dad,” Strickland admitted.
Strickland also revealed that had to endure both mental and physical abuse, and he was not the only one on the receiving end of the beating.
4. Strickland got kicked out of every school he enrolled in
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The toxic upbringing and background made Strickland very angry as an adolescent.
He kept switching schools after school and he kept on getting into trouble.
“When you grow up the way I grew up… You’re so angry. You’re so filled with hate that you have to hate something,” Strickland once admitted once ahead of UFC Vegas 12.
5.He began training Mixed Martial Arts at age 14
Interestingly, Strickland began training in mixed martial arts at the age of 14 and turned professional at the age of 17.
6. He was undefeated as 'King of The Cage' Middleweight champion
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Strickland made his professional debut in 2008 for the King of the Cage promotion and compiled an undefeated record of 9–0 before facing Josh Bryant in a fight for the King of the Cage Middleweight Championship at KOTC: Unification on December 9, 2012.
Strickland won via split decision, and then successfully defended his title three times before being signed by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).
7. Strickland made his UFC debut in 2014
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Strickland made his UFC debut at UFC 171 on March 15, 2014, facing Bubba McDaniel.
The 32-year-old fighter won via rear-naked choke submission in the first round.
Strickland would go on to win his next fight at UFC Fight Night 41 against Luke Barnatt on May 31, 2014, via split decision.
However, his first loss in the UFC came on February 22, 2015, at UFC Fight Night 61 after he lost against Santiago Ponzinibbio in a welterweight bout via unanimous decision.
8. He has once lost to a Nigerian fighter in the UFC
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Before his famous win against Nigerian-New Zealand fighter Israel Adesanya, Sean Stickland had once lost a bout against another Nigerian fighter.
Strickland faced former UFC lightweight champion Kamaru Usman on April 8, 2017, at UFC 210.
However, he lost the fight to the Nigerian nightmare via unanimous decision.
9. He had once lost to the same man who defeated Israel Adesanya
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Strickland had once faced former UFC middleweight champion Alex Pereira in July 2022 at UFC 277.
However, he lost the bout against Pereira via knockout in the first round.
Alex Pereira made the headlines recently as the last man to defeat the Last Stylebender Israel Adesanya in the UFC.
Pereira faced Israel Adesanya for the UFC Middleweight Championship on November 12, 2022, at UFC 281.
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He won the bout via technical knockout in the fifth round to dethrone Izzy before Izzy got his payback in a rematch this year at UFC 287 after loosing via a knockout in the final minute of round two.
Interestingly, Pereira reportedly helped train Sean Strickland before his win against Israel Adesanya on September 9, 2023, at UFC 293.
10. Strickland was involved in a car accident that ruled him out for 2 years
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In December 2018, Strickland was hit by a car while he was riding a motorcycle in Los Angeles, rendering him unconscious. He suffered numerous injuries and needed a knee operation after the accident.
The crash ruled Strickland out of action for two years before his return.
Strickland would go ahead to win the first fight in two years against Jack Marshman who replaced Wellingnton Turman who was initially supposed to be his opponent at UFC 181.
Strickland won the fight via unanimous decision before going ahead to win his next two fights against Brendan Allen at UFC 182 in November 2020, and Krzysztof Jotko at UFC Vegas 25 in May 2021.
11. Strickland earned $1.4 million for his win against Israel Adesanya
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Due to his current contract with the UFC, the new middleweight champion Sean Strickland, reportedly earned a guaranteed purse of $500,000 for his fight against Israel Adesanya.
However, Sports Payouts reports that his overall earnings of the challenger increased to a maximum $1.4million which include sponsorship, win bonus and pay-per-view bonus.
12. Sean Strickland Social Media
Sean Strickland currently has over 442,000 followers on Instagram as at the time of this report.
He also has over 140K followers on the X platform.
13. Sean Strickland Net Worth
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Strickland has no doubt amassed a great deal of wealth from his career as a mixed-martial artist.
As of 2023, Sean Strickland is estimated to have a net worth of around $1.5 million, as per Sportskeeda.
Strickland’s earnings from fight purses, sponsorships, and other sources have totalled well over $750,000.
Before his famous win against Adesanya which is expected to fetch him well over a million dollars, Strickland's biggest fight purse was reportedly $321,000 for his fight against Nassourdine Imavov at UFC Vegas 57 in January 2023.
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