Sean Strickland admits women's champ tapped him out ‘like 20 times’

[ASFN Admin]

Sean Strickland is humble in defeat, at least inside the gym.

Strickland recently trained with fellow Ultimate Fighting Championship titleholder Kayla Harrison at American Top Team in Coconut Creek, Florida, where he got a first-hand feel for the Olympian’s grappling ability.

Kayla Harrison’s Judo Skills Impress Sean Strickland at American Top Team​

After training with Strickland, Harrison uploaded a video on her Instagram Stories, wherein she asked the reigning middleweight champion: “Who f**ked you up?”

Strickland (31-7) then admitted that Harrison (19-1) made him tap out multiple times. “[Kayla] tapped me out like 20 times. She did some Japanese throws I can’t pronounce because I'm American.”

Harrison made her UFC debut in 2024 before dethroning Julianna Pena to win the bantamweight title in her third promotional outing. The two-time Olympic gold medallist judoka was scheduled to defend her title against Amanda Nunes earlier this year at UFC 324. However, she was forced to withdraw from the bout due to a neck injury.

Meanwhile, Strickland won the middleweight title for the second time with a huge upset win over Khamzat Chimaev this past May. He is currently recovering from a shoulder injury, with rematches against Chimaev and Nassourdine Imavov rumored for his next fight.

Sean Strickland says Kayla Harrison tapped him 20 times

“Kayla tapped me out like 20 times. She pulled out some Japanese throw or whatever, but I'm American, so I can't pronounce that crap. I'm not a damn commie." pic.twitter.com/bC002lcXBl— Dovy (@DovySimuMMA) June 30, 2026

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