UFC middleweight and former champion Sean Strickland will be cooling his heels for a while.
After sparking an in-cage confrontation at a Tuff-N-Uff event in Las Vegas in late June, where he served as a corner and later tried to attack an opposing fighter, Strickland has been placed on a provisional suspension by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
That suspension was initially issued on July 3, and extended during a commission meeting this week.
“In connection with the June 29, 2025 contest held in Las Vegas, NV, which the respondent was not participating in as a combatant,” Nevada deputy attorney general Matthew Feeley said during Wednesday’s commission meeting (h/t MMA Fighting). “The respondent engaged in a physical altercation with a contestant immediately after the contestant’s bout.”
The commission then extended the suspension until at least their next monthly meeting, which will take place in August.
The incident in question saw Strickland’s teammate Miles Hunsinger suffer a submission loss to Luis Hernandez. During his post-fight celebration, Hernandez fired off a D-Generation X style “crotch chop” towards the opposing team’s corner, drawing Strickland and teammate/pal Chris Curtis into the cage. While Curtis more or less jawed at Hernandez, Strickland kicked off his sandals and chose to throw hands.
As a licensed second for the event, Strickland’s actions fall under the commissions jurisdiction. The suspension means that Sean Strickland is not eligible to compete, and also means the UFC is unlikely to even book him for a fight, and there’s no indication of how long his full penalty may be.
