Sean Strickland admits women's champ tapped him out ‘like 20 times’

UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland got a harsh lesson in elite grappling when he trained with fellow titleholder Kayla Harrison at American Top Team in Coconut Creek, Florida. The reigning bantamweight champion's judo prowess left Strickland humbled on the mat. After their session, Harrison posted a video on Instagram Stories asking Strickland, "Who f**ked you up?" The champion admitted candidly: "[Kayla] tapped me out like 20 times. She did some Japanese throws I can't pronounce because I'm American." Harrison (19-1), a two-time Olympic gold medalist judoka, made her UFC debut in 2024 and ascended to bantamweight gold in just her third promotional fight after dethroning Julianna Peña. She was slated to defend the title against Amanda Nunes at UFC 324 earlier this year but withdrew due to a neck injury. Meanwhile, Strickland (31-7) captured the middleweight title for the second time with a shocking upset victory over Khamzat Chimaev in May. He is currently nursing a shoulder injury, with potential rematches against Chimaev and Nassourdine Imavov being discussed for his next defense. The training session underscored the stark skill gap between elite grapplers and even elite strikers when wrestling and judo are in play.