Sean Strickland often lands in hot water for his outspoken nature during the buildup to UFC events. This time, however, the former middleweight champion landed himself in ‘cold water’ outside the Octagon after convincing a man to risk his life. In a viral social media video, Strickland is seen urging a man to jump off a cliff, a decision that took a terrifying turn when the man began drowning.
In the viral clip, the man admitted he was afraid to jump off the cliff, saying, “I’m not gonna make it.” Strickland, however, dismissed his concerns and repeatedly urged him to overcome his fear and take the leap.
“You’re gonna make it,” Strickland said in the video. “You can jump far as [expletive], bro. Just jump in there and jump out. Bro, that ain’t gonna do [expletive]. You’re on a rock. Don’t be a [expletive]. Let’s go…”
Listening to the former middleweight champion’s words, the man finally took the plunge. However, moments later, Strickland realized his friend, Wart, was struggling to stay afloat. The 35-year-old immediately panicked upon seeing Wart in real danger of drowning. Without wasting a second, he jumped into the water to rescue him.
“Bro, just [expletive] keep swimming,” Strickland could be heard shouting. “Wart! Are you [expletive] with me right now? Oh my God, that [expletive] is gonna die.”
The video does not clearly show how Strickland rescued the man. However, he can later be heard yelling, “Keep swimming, you [expletive].”
After the brief scare, Strickland successfully pulled Wart to safety. However, the viral clip left many viewers confused.
An Instagram account under the username citysdrill shared the clip, where Strickland clarified the incident in the comments.
“To be fair I said ‘if you don’t jump I’m gonna leave u out in the middle of nowhere,’” Strickland wrote, “Sooo idk bout saved but helped him become a man for a moment.”
Later, Wart clarified that the water was “too cold” for him to continue swimming, which left him unable to move. He explained that the shock of the cold water caused him to “give up” and stop trying to keep himself afloat—fortunately, the incident ended without any injuries.
This isn’t the first time a UFC fighter has saved someone from drowning. Back in 2019, former UFC heavyweight champion Fabricio Werdum helped rescue two teenagers at a California beach after they were caught in dangerous surf conditions. Werdum assisted the lifeguard team in rescuing a drowning boy, while lifeguards pulled a girl to safety.
