Sean Strickland Workout and Diet
Mixed Martial Artist
Sean Strickland is from California. After being expelled from 9th grade, his mother took him to an MMA gym. Strickland’s professional debut came in 2008 at a King of the Cage match. He went undefeated for 9 fights, leading to winning a championship fight in 2012 against Josh Bryant. ‘Tarzan’ was then signed to the UFC. In 2023, he beat Israel Adesanya to become UFC Middleweight Champion. He has endorsement deals with Monster Energy and Xile apparel, as well as his own line of merch. Strickland has a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and trains at Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas. He has millions of followers on social media. Strickland is 6 feet, 1 inch tall and fights at 185 lbs.
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Sean Strickland’s Diet
Diet Summary
Strickland has fought at welterweight (170 lbs.), and says he could return to it and win that title, except for one thing: he hates cutting weight. So at 185, he gets to eat more of what he loves like burgers, without feeling too deprived. As for what he really eats, he will only jokingly say guys shouldn’t pretend to like sushi just to impress a date. But clearly with muscle definition like he has, he doesn’t eat too many greasy burgers and can dial it in when necessary. Strickland no doubt drinks lots of water during his brutal workouts.
Estimated Macros
Medium Fat
Variable Carb
High Protein
Diet Details
Eat on the Cheap
Strickland’s diet advice is unconventional to say the least. He recommends guys eat cheap food and stop trying to impress the ladies by eating things like sushi and pizza.
Dial In
Jokes aside, Strickland takes his diet seriously, which his physique shows. No matter what he claims, you can’t get abs like that by eating cheap takeout.
Going Vegan?
In an interview with Theo Von, Strickland teared up. Declaring that something must be seriously wrong, he even considered going vegan…for a few seconds.
What to Eat
- Sufficient calories for your needs
- Simple foods
- Economical foods
- Animal protein
- Veg
- Bread
- Water
What to Avoid
- Not eating enough
- Eating to impress
- Chemicals
- Excess sugar
- Excess salt
Strickland on the middleweight class
‘At middleweight, I’m fat and I’m happy.’
Strickland on fighting at welterweight
‘At welterweight, I hate…life. I’m…miserable.’
Strickland’s diet advice for single men
‘If you’re a single man, go in your house and eat the cheap food.’
Sean Strickland’s Workout Routine
Workout Routine
Life Lessons
Strickland’s mother is responsible for his early training in MMA. She brought him to a gym after he was expelled from the 9th grade.
Bye-Bye Black Belt
Strickland publicly threw his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt in the trash, declaring it a symbol of 10 years of wasted work.
Precision Practice
Strickland almost always trains wearing MMA gloves rather than boxing gloves. He does this so he can practice the exact distance of his fists to his opponent.
All-Around Training
MMA training involves many different aspects, including grappling, sparring, boxing, kickboxing and martial arts. Strickland practices them all on the regular (except BJJ). He trains at Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas.
No Excuses
Strickland says having a cold or minor injury is not an excuse to not train. He gets himself to the gym, no matter how he feels. He expects 100% from himself and his sparring partners.
Exercise Style
A Sean Strickland Routine
- Sparring: 5 min x 5 rounds
- Pad work
- Shadow boxing
- Heavy bag
- Grappling
- Martial arts
- Wrestling
- No excuses not to train
Strickland on the mental aspect of MMA
‘Mentally, as always, I’m ready to die for what I want.’
Strickland on discipline
‘You gotta make these guys…work. Otherwise, they stay on their back the whole time.’
Strickland on BJJ
‘It doesn’t work.’
Strickland on who can become a fighter
‘Honestly, you can teach anyone how to fight.’
Strickland on excuses
‘If you can’t train…with a bloody nose, how are you going to fight with a broken nose?’
Sean Strickland’s Supplements
Strickland’s keeping his supplement routine on the down low, so below are options that may benefit anyone following a similar diet plan.
Protein
Strickland doesn’t cop to taking any supplements, and he is utterly opposed to steroids. But some staples for pro fighters include protein to build muscle.
BCAAs
BCAAs are good for energy, which is why many pro fighters add it to their diet.
Creatine
Another staple for pro fighters is creatine for growth.
Glutamine
Glutamine is another staple for pro fighters due to its recovery support.
Greens
Pro fighters also may include greens for fiber and phytonutrients.
Multivitamin
Another staple for pro fighters includes a multivitamin to cover nutritional bases.
Sean Strickland’s Lifestyle
Hard Knocks Life
Strickland says his father abused him and his mother physically and mentally throughout his childhood. His father died at age 50 of cancer.
Early Wake Up Call
Strickland was expelled from high school for a hate crime. His mother took him to a gym where he learned from people of all backgrounds, which caused him to totally rethink his white supremacist attitude.
Loyal Teammate
Strickland loves to be outrageous and trash-talk, but his coaches and fellow fighters all say he is as loyal as they come and a great teammate.
Close Call
In 2018, Strickland was hit by a car while riding a motorcycle, suffering serious injuries, including being knocked unconscious.
Close One
Strickland started a fist fight with Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 296 in Las Vegas. UFC President Dana White had intentionally seated the two within a few rows of one another.
Zero Strikes
Strickland believes that steroid use should result in a permanent ban from the sport.
Cancel Culture
Strickland likes to be controversial, which has led to his being kicked off various platforms, including Twitter.
Strickland on Israel Adesanya
‘Izzy sucks.’
Strickland on Alex Periera
‘Good guy, solid guy, way better than Izzy.’
Strickland on crying during his Theo Von interview
‘Wall broke a little, allergies started to act up.’
Strickland on his social media controversies
‘They’re always trying to cancel me.’
Strickland on steroid use
‘If you pop for steroids…it should be a life time ban.’
Recommended Products
Sean Strickland Merch
Xile Apparel
Sean Strickland UFC Apparel
MMA Gloves
MMA Shin Guards
Sparring Pads
Head Gear
Heavy Bag
Hand Wraps
