Moving up and down weight classes is a common practice in the UFC. For several variable reasons, fighters choose to gain or lose weight to fight in different weight classes. Conor McGregor has moved two weight divisions, from featherweight to welterweight.

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Jon Jones has recently made a move up to heavyweight. Khamzat Chimaev is moving to the middleweight division soon. One more name that might be added to this list is Sean Strickland. Strickland fought in the middleweight division of UFC up until his last fight. But, we might now see him fighting the light heavyweight division for a long time.

Sean Strickland talks about moving to the light heavyweight division on Twitter

Strickland recently posted a picture of himself after training and wrote “liking 205,” referring to the light heavyweight division. The lightweight division is 20 pounds heavier than his current middleweight division (171-185 lbs).

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Soon, a Twitter account asked about him moving up to the lightweight division. His reply to this comment was something not many had expected. Strickland responded by stating that there was no competition for him at middleweight for the next few months. Also, he thought that there were plenty of fighters he could fight in the light heavyweight division.

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“No one at middleweight to fight, or at least not for 6 months. Plenty of guys at 205”, Strickland said. This response shocked many MMA fans, as no one was expecting Strickland to move to a different weight class.

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Sean Strickland’s UFC career

Strickland has had a successful MMA career so far. He holds an impressive record of 26 wins and 5 losses. Two of these five losses have come in his last three fights. Before suffering two back-to-back losses against Pereira and Cannonier, Strickland was enjoying a 6 fight win streak at UFC. His back-to-back losses might be the reason for his move to the light heavyweight division.

Sean Strickland

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In his third UFC fight against Santiago Ponzinibbio in 2015, Strickland made his welterweight debut. He moved back to middleweight in 2020 in a fight against Jack Marshman. His last fight against Nassourdine Imavov was his light heavyweight debut. However, no one expected this move to be permanent.

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With a win in his light heavyweight debut, Strickland is open to the possibility of moving to the light heavyweight division for good. It will be interesting to see who Strickland faces in the 205 division. Who do you think he should challenge at 205 pounds?

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Sushant Sharma

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Sushant Sharma is a UFC Content Analyst at EssentiallySports. A senior writer with almost 1000 articles under his belt, Sushant is always scanning the MMA landscape for current trends and breaking news. His knowledge and expertise in the sport are well-reflected in the ‘Opinion’ pieces he churns out from time to time. Sushant’s impactful style of writing has earned him a mention from boxing champion turned MMA star Claressa Shields. He is a constant presence in the live coverage team, updating the fans with all the latest news from live events in real time. In his free time, Sushant trains in combat sports and powerlifting. He is an accomplished powerlifter with silver and bronze medals at the State level. You can reach out to him at

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