Sean Strickland says the shoulder injury he is treating happened before his UFC 328 title win over Khamzat Chimaev, not after it.
Strickland beat Chimaev by split decision in Newark on May 9, becoming a two-time UFC middleweight champion and handing Chimaev the first loss of his professional MMA career. Afterward, Strickland said the shoulder damage came from a fight-week sparring session with PFL middleweight champion Johnny Eblen.
Strickland later described the injury as a Type 2 AC separation, extended Type V SLAP tear, and partial rotator cuff tearing/tendinosis. Joe Rogan also noticed the problem before the fight started, saying afterward that Strickland appeared to be testing the range in his shoulder during the pre-fight moments.
Strickland Says Rogan Pointed Him Toward Ways2Well
Strickland has since gone to Ways2Well for treatment, saying Rogan recommended the clinic. In the clinic video, the shoulder diagnosis was described directly.
“You have an AC separation and a small tear in one of the muscles in your shoulder,” the clinician said while showing the scan.
Championship Rounds shared the clip and wrote that Strickland was told he would not need surgery. Strickland then explained why he was at the facility.
“Real small tear. We’re at Ways2Well, they’re gonna fix me up. Joe Rogan got me on this place, he swears by it,” Strickland said. “We’re gonna get back into the cage soon. These people are fixing me up.”
Watch the clip below:
https://x.com/ChampRDS/status/2060483676543041931
Strickland turned pro in 2008, won the King of the Cage middleweight title before reaching the UFC, shocked Israel Adesanya for UFC gold in 2023, and later lost the belt to Dricus Du Plessis. The Chimaev win put him back on top of the division while dealing with a shoulder injury he had already carried into fight night.
Chimaev entered UFC 328 unbeaten in MMA and with a three-time Swedish national freestyle wrestling background. Strickland’s recovery now determines how quickly he can move toward his first defense of this second title reign.
