Sean Strickland, in perhaps the biggest upset in UFC history, defeated Israel Adesanya at UC 293 to become the UFC middleweight champion. But he failed to defend his title against Dricus Du Plessis in the grudge match at UFC 297 and now he has a chance at redemption and getting back to title contention if he can beat Paulo Costa at UFC 302.

Although Sean Strickland is now at the peak of his stardom in the UFC, he once found himself in a terrible situation almost six years ago. Let us take a look at the motorcycle accident that nearly killed him before we get to his UFC 302 fight.

How did Sean Strickland have a motorcycle accident?

Sean Strickland was involved in an accident while riding his motorcycle back in 2018. He was heading home when a van cut him off, rendering him unconscious for many hours and with several serious injuries. When he gained his consciousness back, the former champion was alarmed to see doctors and law enforcement officials standing over him.

“I think I was going straight, and a car turned out in front of me. I got into an accident going 45 miles per hour. I was unconscious for about three hours,” he said in a now-deleted Instagram post. Sean Strickland would open up about this experience to MMA Fighting where he would claim responsibility for being reckless on the road.

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“I have nobody else to blame. I was on a motorcycle. I was a f***ng idiot. I did it. So at the end of the day, it’s like I did this to myself. I made my bed and it sucks but you only live once,” Strickland added. But do you know that he could have seen his career end with that accident? Well, that is what the former champion revealed himself.

The former champion was told he may never fight again after the bike accident

That accident made Sean Strickland sustain several wounds a torn patella, dislocated kneecap, torn quadriceps, and a fractured nose. After undergoing surgery on his leg, doctors warned ‘Tarzan’ that he might never be able to fight again. Strickland spent the next year trying to heal, and regain mobility in his leg. By the end of this period, he returned to the gym and was thinking of coming back to the octagon.

“I had a doctor coming up to me saying, ‘You’re going to surgery’, and at that moment I started crying a little bit,” Sean Strickland stated. “I don’t know if it’s just the lifelong battle with depression that fighters have but I just remember waking up like, ‘F**”, I hope I can fight again.'”

Sean Strickland would go on to consult multiple doctors and after those visits, he would reveal that, “Let me just tell you this — every doctor I talked to said I shouldn’t fight again.” Luckily, ‘Tarzan’ made a full recovery and when he returned after a two-year hiatus, he registered a win against Jack Marshman.

With UFC 302 approaching, fans are expecting fireworks between Sean Strickland and Paulo Costa. What do you think will happen on June 1? Drop your comments below.

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