Brett OkamotoJul 23, 2025, 07:55 PM ET
CloseBrett Okamoto has reported on mixed martial arts and boxing at ESPN since 2010. He has covered all of the biggest events in combat sports during that time, including in-depth interviews and features with names such as Dana White, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Conor McGregor, Nate Diaz, Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao and Georges St-Pierre. He was also a producer on the 30 for 30 film: “Chuck and Tito,” which looked back at the careers and rivalry of Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz. He lives in Las Vegas, and is an avid, below-average golfer in his spare time.
Former UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland has been suspended from competition after getting into an altercation with another fighter at an MMA event in June in Las Vegas.
The Nevada State Athletic Commission has suspended Strickland, 34, indefinitely for his role in the incident. It is common practice for the commission to suspend a licensed athlete or cornerman until issuing an official punishment at a disciplinary hearing. Strickland’s case was on the commission’s monthly schedule Wednesday, but it voted to push his hearing to a future date.
The incident occurred at a Tuff-N-Uff event June 29 in Las Vegas. Strickland entered the cage after a fighter he coaches, Miles Hunsinger, suffered a submission loss to Luis Hernandez. Immediately after the win, Hernandez taunted Hunsinger’s corner, which prompted a response from Strickland and fellow UFC fighter Chris Curtis. Video captured Strickland throwing a pair of punches at Hernandez.
The UFC will almost certainly not announce a fight for Strickland until the matter is resolved. He has not fought since coming up short in a bid to recapture the 185-pound championship against Dricus Du Plessis in February.