Ex-mundial middleweight titleholder from UFC, Sean Strickland, is facing controversy stemming from his behavior post a fight at Tuff-N-Uff 145. Strickland has often been notorious for being a fighter who is always primed to step into action. Strickland, who has remained out of the ring since his unanimous decision defeat by du Plessis at UFC 312, made the news, unfortunately for negative reasons. This situation developed when his teammate Miles Hunsinger fought against Luis Hernandez in a middleweight bout of the Tuff-N-Uff 145 undercard.
The first round of the match between Hunsinger and Hernandez was filled with a healthy exchange of strikes. The second round, however, marked the beginning of disorder. During this round, Hernandez had engaged in multiple heated exchanges with Hunsinger’s corner, Sean Strickland being an active participant. Upon the conclusion of the fight, Hernandez made a contentious gesture towards Hunsinger’s corner, specifically to Strickland and UFC fighter Chris Curtis who were present there in support.
Responding to Hernandez’s provocative action, Strickland, along with his fellow UFC fighter, Curtis, immediately sprang into action. Strickland was seen directing a punch towards Hernandez, quickly followed by another strike before backing away from his opponent. Curtis held Hernandez back for some time before the latter managed to shrug him off.
As tempers flared and the situation threatened to spiral out of control, a number of officials and security personnel made a beeline into the cage to intervene. Their timely intervention prevented the tense standoff from escalating into a more serious conflict. This series of events led to the question – will Sean Strickland face repercussions for his outburst?
Consequently, on Sunday, Sean Strickland was seen to have forcefully entered the cage during an MMA event, and attacked a fighter who had just defeated one of his UFC teammates. Meanwhile, Hernandez could not resist the urge to taunt and allowed himself to be carried away with the triumph, glancing through the cage mesh at Strickland and Chris Curtis, celebrating his win.
Strickland, along with Curtis, didn’t just witness the embarrassing defeat of their teammate sit down, but reacted vigorously, rushing toward the cage to confront Hernandez. In a moment of heated dispute, Strickland succeeded in landing two punches on the 28-year-old Hernandez. These incidents have reinforced Strickland’s position as one of the most polarizing figures within the UFC.
Given that the fight was conducted in Las Vegas, the Nevada State Athletic Commission holds the jurisdiction to regulate the event. Considering this, it can be inferred that Strickland’s unprofessionalism might not go unpunished. The commission has the power to issue some form of disciplinary action against Strickland for his actions that defied combat sports conventions.