Sean Strickland Reveals Extensive Shoulder Damage Following UFC 328 Title Victory.

Newly crowned UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland is facing a lengthy recovery period after disclosing multiple injuries sustained during his hard-fought win over Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 328. Strickland shared details of the damage on social media this week, revealing he suffered a Type 2 AC separation, an extended Type 5 SLAP tear, and a partial rotator cuff tear with tendinosis — all affecting his shoulder. He also noted that he entered fight week already dealing with a Grade 1 AC joint separation suffered while sparring former Bellator champion Johnny Eblen. “Gonna have to walk this one off,” Strickland wrote in a post on X. The injuries came as a result of Strickland’s grueling five-round battle with Chimaev in the UFC 328 main event at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Strickland edged out a split-decision victory to reclaim the UFC middleweight title for the second time in his career. Following the event, the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board issued Strickland an indefinite medical suspension pending clearance for the shoulder injuries. While Nassourdine Imavov is widely viewed as the likely next challenger for the middleweight crown, Chimaev’s camp has already begun pushing for an immediate rematch. A recent statement released by Chimaev’s team claimed that “Borz” is “obsessed” with running things back after the narrow decision loss.