Sean Strickland shows injuries after motorcycle accident without helmet on: ‘I’m in a real bad place’

UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland shared footage on social media Tuesday showing injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident, revealing that he was riding without a helmet when the bike rolled at approximately 60 miles per hour. Strickland said his friend Chris was driving the motorcycle when it crashed, rolling multiple times and leaving him with head and shoulder scrapes from impact with concrete and dirt.

"I'm in a real bad place," Strickland said in the initial video, before later posting an update noting that while his friend had briefly lost consciousness and been hospitalized, both riders appeared to be recovering. Strickland described the incident as "the most fun I've had in a very, very long time" and noted that sponsor Rainbet offered to cover damages.

The accident marks another brush with serious injury for Strickland, who suffered a severe motorcycle crash in December 2018 that sidelined him for nearly two years. That earlier accident occurred when he was competing at welterweight; he has since moved to middleweight and climbed to the championship level, where he is currently in his second title reign. Despite ongoing shoulder injuries that have complicated scheduling his next title defense, Strickland has continued riding, though he shared footage of a separate motorcycle fall where he was properly equipped with safety gear. His casual approach to motorcycle safety stands in stark contrast to the demands of maintaining championship status in the UFC.