Jun 1, 2024; Newark, New Jersey, USA; Sean Strickland (red gloves)celebrates defeating Paulo Costa (blue gloves) during UFC 302 at Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

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“Im Suspended And Can’t Come” – Sean Strickland Reveals Being Banned From Attending UFC 323

Jun 1, 2024; Newark, New Jersey, USA; Sean Strickland (red gloves)celebrates defeating Paulo Costa (blue gloves) during UFC 302 at Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Actions have consequences, even for former UFC champions like Sean Strickland who believe rules don’t apply to them. Athletic commissions exist to maintain order and protect the integrity of combat sports competitions. When fighters violate those rules, suspensions follow regardless of star power or past accomplishments. Sometimes those suspensions extend beyond just competing, affecting attendance privileges too.

‘Tarzan’ has never been known for following conventional wisdom or showing restraint when emotions run high. The former middleweight champion stormed the cage at a Tuff-N-Uff event back in June after Miles Hunsinger lost. Strickland threw punches at Luis Hernandez, who had taunted Hunsinger’s corner after securing a submission victory. Now, it has come back to bite him, even in the UFC.

Sean Strickland Reveals Being Banned From UFC 323

Strickland took to Threads to share his frustration about the situation with his typical blunt honesty. He wrote that he wanted to go watch his homies fight tonight, but the UFC bosses personally called him to tell him off. Strickland added that he’s suspended and can’t come.

“Well… I wanted to go watch the homies fight tonight but the UFC bosses personally called me to tell me to f myself Im suspended and cant come.”

Sean Strickland says the "UFC bosses" won't let him attend his teammates' fights pic.twitter.com/BVptGqEkBA
— MMA Fighting (@MMAFighting) December 7, 2025

The Nevada State Athletic Commission issued Strickland a six-month ban and a $5,000 fine for his cage-storming actions. He could have reduced that suspension to four and a half months by completing an anger management course. But true to his personality, Strickland never bothered taking the class. The suspension ends on December 29, meaning he’s been out of action for months.

Strickland’s layoff has stretched nearly a year when combined with the fallout from his last actual fight. He faced Dricus du Plessis in a rematch at UFC 312 back in February, and du Plessis controlled the action to win a unanimous decision.

The former champion recently refused a matchup with Anthony Hernandez at UFC 325 in Australia, giving a surprisingly practical reason. Strickland said he didn’t want to deal with the tax burden of fighting overseas. He wants a return fight in Las Vegas the moment his suspension expires at the end of December. But according to UFC 323 commentary booth, this fight is locked in for UFC Houston.

🚨 BREAKING: Sean Strickland will fight Anthony Hernandez in the main event of #UFCHouston on February 21

(via @ufc) pic.twitter.com/I3BlayDXLK
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) December 7, 2025

Whether that leads him closer to a Chimaev title shot remains uncertain given how UFC matchmaking works. The promotion doesn’t always reward fighters based purely on rankings or who deserves what opportunities.

(Image Credit: Joe Camporeale – Imagn Images)

Sean Strickland

UFC 323

UFC Houston

Zaid Quraishi

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I am a dedicated MMA and Boxing content writer at The Playoffs. I was instantly hooked on MMA after watching the fight between Lyoto Machida vs. Gegard Mousasi back in 2014, and since then, i have been an avid writer with a deep love for the sport and its techniques, providing readers with a thorough understanding of the sport. My favorite aspect of working at The Playoffs is the creative freedom it provides. The diverse range of topics, from listicles and SEO to news articles, keeps me engaged and motivates me to continuously improve my skills! I aim to capture the excitement of the combat sports world in my writing, acting as the middleman between fighters and their die-hard fans. It is kind of like a referee, but with words!