Sean Strickland Turns Down UFC 325 Fight in Australia

Sydney, Australia – Sean Strickland has declined an offer to fight Anthony Hernandez at UFC 325 on January 31 at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney. The former UFC middleweight champion cited high insurance costs as the primary reason for his refusal.

Strickland explained that he does not have medical insurance, which would require him to spend half of his fight purse on coverage for the Australian event. “I don’t have medical insurance,” he stated on social media. “So you want me to go get my first fight back in Australia and give half of my check to you and buy your medical insurance? I ain’t doing it.”

Despite turning down the fight in Australia, Strickland expressed interest in facing Hernandez, provided the fight can take place in the United States. “I love the Fluffy fight,” he said, referring to Hernandez by his nickname. “Let’s get this booked in the States.”

Strickland’s suspension by the Nevada Athletic Commission ends next week, stemming from a physical altercation during a Tuff-N-Uff event in Las Vegas in June. He was banned for six months following the incident, which occurred after a fighter he was cornering lost. In the last two years, Strickland has fought only once in the U.S. and never defended his title on American soil.

Sydney would have marked Strickland’s third fight in the city. He initially won the middleweight title at UFC 293 in Sydney by defeating Israel Adesanya. His last appearance there was at UFC 312, where he lost to Dricus du Plessis in a title rematch.

Currently, Strickland holds a professional record of 29 wins and 7 losses, with a UFC record of 16 wins and 7 losses. He is 1-2 in his last three fights. Meanwhile, Hernandez, who shares a California background with Strickland, is on an eight-fight winning streak with a record of 15-2 overall and 9-2 in the UFC.

Hernandez was recently sidelined by an injury that forced him out of a planned contender bout against Reinier de Ridder in October, which would have determined the next challenger for middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev.