Sean Strickland entered UFC 328 as more than a 4-to-1 underdog on most sportsbooks. Nobody gave “Tarzan” a real shot at pulling it off against undefeated Khamzat Chimaev
But after five rounds of back-and-forth action, two judges scored the bout 48-47 for Strickland, making “Borz” 0-1 for the first time in his career. Strickland is now a two-time UFC middleweight champion of the world.
Following the impressive victory, he said most of his recent success comes from his wife, KJ.
Sean Strickland Opens Up On How His Wife Changed Everything
After surviving the war in the cage, the conversation shifted to the person who helped him get there. In a post shared by @UFCOnParamount, Strickland credited his wife as the driving force behind his recent success.
“She’s been by my side for years,” Strickland said. “I give her a lot of credit for my success because she made me realize that I’m not just a UFC title or a fighter—that’s not my entire life. I always tell people, all I was before was that blue check mark and my logo.”
❤️ 👩 Sean Strickland says most of his recent success comes from his wife:
“She’s been by my side for years. I give her a lot of credit for my success because she made me realize that I’m not just a UFC title or a fighter — that’s not my entire life.
I always tell people, all I… pic.twitter.com/ZrcTjB00WZ
— Full Mount MMA (@MMAFullMount) May 10, 2026
He added, “But when you have something real to come back to, the things that don’t matter suddenly matter a lot less, and the things that do matter become way more important. So I owe a lot to her. We’ll take a little vacation, reset, and then get back to work.”
Whatever he pointed out aligns with what his team has said for years. His coach, Erik Nicksick, has credited Strickland’s partner for helping him navigate childhood trauma, which Nicksick believes was the catalyst for his evolution as a fighter and his 2023 title win over Israel Adesanya.
Inside Sean Strickland’s Marriage
KJ first showed up in the UFC 293 Embedded vlogs back in September 2023. This was the same camp where Strickland pulled off his massive upset over Israel Adesanya in Sydney. Since then, she’s stayed out of the spotlight. She actually appears at his fights but avoids the media. Most people only know her as KJ since her full name and career details are also private.
They have been together since 2022. Last October, Strickland posted on Instagram that they finally got married, penning, “Well time to grow up I guess.” The video showed him and his new wife at a shooting range while she was still in her wedding dress.
Surprisingly, they don’t have any kids. Strickland has always been open about his fear of becoming a father, often citing his own rough childhood and the heavy weight of raising a child. For now, it’s just them and their dog in their little family.
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Since the start of his life with KJ, he has achieved significant professional success, including becoming a two-time champion. So, he never feels shy to publicly credit his wife for providing a sense of stability in his life.
