Sean Strickland’s open workout features unusual sparring session, Fan gets dropped

Former UFC Middleweight Champion Sean Strickland poked fun at a fan and made him pay the price for it.

Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

Former UFC Middleweight Champion Sean Strickland decided to up the ante during his open workout sparring session while preparing for his highly-anticipated rematch opposite Dricus du Plessis.

For one lucky fan, he felt the brunt of how terrifying the talkative middleweight can be, especially when it's rather unexpected.

Strickland Spars With Fan Ahead Of UFC 312

Strickland invited a younger, smaller-looking version of UFC light heavyweight Johnny Walker up during his open workout, and the fan ultimately got overconfident in Strickland's mit-hitting abilities: literally.

Sean Strickland brought out a fan for a sparring session at the #UFC312 open workouts in Sydney pic.twitter.com/BCpQcVLhqO

— MMA Fighting (@MMAFighting) February 5, 2025

A body shot sent the fan crashing to the mat, amusing the rather pro-Strickland audience despite being in foreign territory in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

It appeared to be a small dustup in a rather fun, one-to-one interaction for a fan who will likely remember where he was in early February 2025 years from now.

Du Plessis vs. Strickland Rematch In Sydney

As for Strickland, who sat out over a year waiting for his rematch with du Plessis, he'll get a chance to rewrite a perceived wrong. The MMA community was rather mixed on the decision, with Strickland jokingly accusing the Canadian government of assuring an American fighter would not go home victorious.

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Dricus Du Plessis celebrates defeating Sean Strickland during UFC 297 at ScotiaBank Arena. / Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

Meanwhile, du Plessis defended his title for the first time with a submission win against Israel Adesanya, the former middleweight champion from Oct. 2019-Sept. 2023.

Du Plessis' win streak now enters a potential 11th triumph, as the South African champion aims to end the bad blood with Strickland once in for all.

Sean Strickland fights Dricus Du Plessis during UFC 297 at ScotiaBank Arena. / Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

As for Strickland, an Xtreme Couture product, he'll attempt to claim what he feels is rightfully his and even the two-fight series. If this outcome were to occur, a trilogy could certainly be in the works later on this year.

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With three days until fight night, the heated anticipation has continued to boil over, making both storylines equally intriguing regardless of the eventual winner.

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