Former UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland revealed he suffered a serious injury leading up to his rematch with Dricus du Plessis.

It’s been almost a full year since UFC fans have seen former titleholder Sean Strickland compete inside the Octagon.

Sidelined since his loss to Dricus du Plessis at UFC 312 last year, Strickland is set to headline UFC Houston against Anthony Hernandez in a massive fight in the middleweight division. The winner could potentially earn a title shot, especially if Hernandez is victorious against Strickland.

2025 was a rough year for Strickland from a fighting perspective. He was handed a lengthy NSAC suspension after a viral brawl at a Las Vegas MMA event, and dropped to 0-2 against Du Plessis in their careers.

Strickland’s performance against du Plessis left many questioning his game plan and readiness to fight for the middleweight title again. It turns out that Strickland was far less than 100 percent for UFC 312.

Sean Strickland compares UFC brass to ‘pimps’ in latest tirade

In a recent interview with Jon Bernard, Strickland revealed he was severely compromised heading into his most recent fight.

“Before the Dricus fight, I was riding [my motorcycle] with Axell Hodges, and I broke my shoulder,” Strickland said.

“I was in Colombia getting stem cells on my shoulder, and they hit me up for the fight. The thing with the UFC, dog, you don’t say no. They are our pimps. You don’t say no to the master. I was backed up into a corner taking that fight.

“So, taking this time off to let my body heal has been amazing. The shoulder feels f—— great. I do miss fighting, and I miss performing, but it’s been nice to be a fat, lazy piece of s— for a while.”

Strickland is looking for his first victory since outpointing former title challenger Paulo Costa at UFC 302.