This weekend, the UFC is all set to make its third-ever visit to Oklahoma City, nine years after its last event there in 2017. To make the card more special, the promotion has booked Dricus du Plessis vs. Kamaru Usman in a middleweight clash for the main event, with the winner potentially facing the champion Sean Strickland next. But those plans may have to wait a while, as the 185-lbs champion is currently enduring a painful recovery from a shoulder injury.  

Showing a glimpse of his recovery, Championship Rounds posted footage of Strickland’s ongoing shoulder treatment, in which the champion claimed the medical professional was only there to make him suffer.

“Bro, I feel like you come here just to hurt me,” Strickland said. “It hurts so bad. Bro, I think what they do is make it hurt so bad that when the pain stops, you’re like, ‘Oh yeah, that feels better.’”   

Sean Strickland is currently recovering at Austin, Texas-based Ways2Well, which he claimed was recommended to him by Joe Rogan. Alongside him, Jon Jones has also reportedly undergone treatment at the facility. However, as the middleweight champion admits he is enduring immense pain throughout the recovery process, it comes as little surprise, given the extensive damage he suffered to his shoulder before UFC 328.

Right after Strickland defeated Khamzat Chimaev in a massive upset in Newark in May, he revealed that he had suffered a shoulder injury just four days before the fight while sparring with PFL fighter Johnny Eblen at Alex Pereira’s head coach, Plinio Cruz’s gym. Tarzan sustained extensive damage, including a Grade 1 AC joint separation, a Type 5 SLAP tear, a partial rotator cuff tear, and tendinosis, yet he dominated the Chechen during their clash.

As a result, he is currently undergoing the recovery process, with no word yet on whether surgery will be required. Still, that’s far from the first time Strickland has blown out his shoulder. The reigning 185-pound champion previously called out the UFC for allegedly pressuring him to rematch Dricus du Plessis at UFC 312 despite suffering a broken shoulder, a fight he ultimately lost.

Beyond the 35-year-old, UFC lightweight Renato Moicano also dealt with a similar injury after suffering a high-grade AC separation before fighting Benoit Saint Denis at UFC Paris in September 2024. Through proper rehabilitation, the Brazilian managed to stay active and even stepped in to fight Islam Makhachev on short notice at UFC 311 in January 2025.

For that, it’s reasonable to expect that Sean Strickland could also return later this year if he continues progressing through his recovery. However, Dricus du Plessis doesn’t appear too thrilled about the reigning champion getting a rematch with Khamzat Chimaev.

Dricus du Plessis dismisses Sean Strickland vs Khamzat Chimaev rematch  

At present, Khamzat Chimaev is doing everything he can to secure a rematch with Sean Strickland and avenge the lone MMA loss on his record. Reportedly, the Chechen fighter endured a brutal weight cut that significantly contributed to his defeat. As such, many believe Chimaev could look like a completely different fighter in their second meeting. But Dricus du Plessis isn’t too thrilled about that matchup.

The South African former champion argued that the rematch doesn’t make sense because neither Strickland nor Chimaev has managed to defend the middleweight title even once. ‘DDP’ also pointed out that he should be next in line, considering he holds a 2-0 record over the current champion.

“I mean, there’s only one opinion there should be,” Du Plessis said at UFC Oklahoma City media day. “Between the two of them, they have an amazing zero title defenses. So, how do you warrant a rematch? In that case, I have two, so give me a rematch then. I have two wins over the current champion, and, you know, it makes zero sense.”

When it comes to title defenses, ‘Stillknocks’ successfully defended the middleweight title twice before losing it to Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 319, who later lost it to Sean Strickland at UFC 328 in May. So, DDP could easily find himself back in the title picture. But there are also other contenders, such as Nassourdine Imavov, firmly positioned near the top and waiting for their opportunity.

In fact, Kamaru Usman could also emerge as the next challenger if he defeats DDP at UFC Oklahoma City. However, Strickland has already said he doesn’t want to face Chimaev in a rematch anytime soon. So, the UFC could potentially pursue a different matchup.

That said, the UFC’s middleweight title picture has undergone a complete shake-up since Sean Strickland became champion. So, it will be interesting to see how the promotion pieces together the entire puzzle.