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NEWARK, NEW JERSEY - MAY 09: (L-R) Sean Strickland punches Khamzat Chimaev of Russia in the UFC middleweight championship fight during the UFC 328 event at Prudential Center on May 09, 2026 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
It’s been a little over a month since Sean Strickland shocked the world at UFC 328, dethroning Khamzat Chimaev in a competitive five-round battle (highlights here).
Unfortunately, the victory did not come without a cost. In the immediate aftermath, Strickland revealed a significant shoulder injury on his right side, which perhaps explains why Strickland didn’t throw many right hands in the latter half of the fight. Either way, the new Middleweight kingpin begins his second reign on the sidelines … but perhaps not for as long as initially thought?
Per a social media post from “Tarzan,” Strickland could be back in the cage before the end of the year.
“We’re looking at a December return,” Strickland told a fan on X. “Just cant become a fat POS while I heal up haha.”
In this modern era, it’s somewhat common to see a champion only fight once each year with two title fights considered the norm. Strickland has already competed twice in 2026, defeating both Anthony Hernandez and Khamzat, so a December return would be an impressive and unusual third showing. That’s a hectic schedule for a champion, particularly considering Strickland has been fighting since 2008 and has a known injury.
The next question, of course, is who would Strickland face? The Khamzat rematch is always a viable option, and Nassourdine Imavov has been waiting around for a title shot for some time now as well. Alternatively, Dricus du Plessis vs. Kamaru Usman is a high-profile main event coming up in just a few weeks, and both men hold victories over Strickland.
There are a lot of options, but hopefully one materializes in December.
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