WATCH | Sean Strickland spars with fan at UFC 312 open workout

Sean Strickland sparred with a lucky fan at the UFC 312 open workout earlier this week.

‘Tarzan’ is currently set to make his return to the cage against Dricus du Plessis on Saturday night. Back for the first time since a split-decision win over Paulo Costa last summer, Sean Strickland will again face ‘Stillknocks’. The former champion famously lost the gold to the South African last January, by a contentious split decision.

Over a year later, the two middleweights are set to run it back with UFC gold on the line. At the UFC 312 open workout earlier today, the ever-brash Sean Strickland decided to spar with a fan from the crowd. For what it’s worth, this is far from the first time that the former middleweight champion has sparred with a non-fighter.

Nonetheless, the two landed some good shots in the brief sparring session. Obviously, neither man, and especially Sean Strickland, wasn’t throwing very hard. Still, it was a cool moment involving the former champion and this fan. While Strickland can go a bit overboard at times, things didn’t get out of hand here.

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😂🥊Sean Strickland spars fan at the #UFC312 Open Workout

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— Home of Fight (@Home_of_Fight) February 5, 2025

WATCH | Sean Strickland spars with fan at UFC 312 open workout

This sparring session is nothing new for the middleweight contender. Over the last two years, Sean Strickland has gone viral on several occasions for sparring with everyone, from influencers such as Sneako, to random fans in the snow. In case it’s not clear by now, the 33-year-old just really likes to fight.

Nonetheless, this fun sparring session doesn’t mean Sean Strickland isn’t prepared for Saturday. Speaking in a recent interview, the former champion admitted that he’s fully expecting to go to war with Dricus du Plessis again at UFC 312. Regardless, ‘Tarzan’ is just focused on leaving Australia with middleweight gold around his waist.

“Here’s the thing. [He has] a hard f*****g head, I’ve been training my ass off. I’m ready to put your ass down, or I’m ready for a five-round war. Let’s get it f*****g, done,” Sean Strickland stated in an interview with FOX Sports Australia earlier this week.

What do you make of this video featuring the former UFC champion? Do you think Sean Strickland will beat Dricus du Plessis on Saturday?