It’s been a little over a month since Sean Strickland shocked the world at UFC 328, dethroning Khamzat Chimaev in a competitive five-round battle (highlights here).
Unfortunately, the victory did not come without a cost. In the immediate aftermath, Strickland revealed a significant shoulder injury on his right side, which perhaps explains why Strickland didn’t throw many right hands in the latter half of the fight. Either way, the new Middleweight kingpin begins his second reign on the sidelines … but perhaps not for as long as initially thought?
Per a social media post from “Tarzan,” Strickland could be back in the cage before the end of the year.
In this modern era, it’s somewhat common to see a champion only fight once each year with two title fights considered the norm. Strickland has already competed twice in 2026, defeating both Anthony Hernandez and Khamzat, so a December return would be an impressive and unusual third showing. That’s a hectic schedule for a champion, particularly considering Strickland has been fighting since 2008 and has a known injury.
There are a lot of options, but hopefully one materializes in December.