Sean Strickland has added another viral sparring clip to his growing reel of beatdowns, this time delivering a savage session to YouTuber Nick Nayersina in Las Vegas.
Nick Nayersina Gets Roughed Up in the Cage With Sean Strickland
The former UFC middleweight champion has become notorious for sparring influencers with little to no fighting experience, often resulting in humiliating scenes for the internet personalities. Nayersina, best known for his party-themed content on YouTube, was the latest to step into the cage with Strickland, and like those before him, quickly found himself overwhelmed.
Despite being months from his unanimous decision loss to Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 297, Strickland has remained in the headlines, not for an octagon return, but for these chaotic sparring encounters. His recent clash with Nayersina followed a pattern seen before, as when he battered streamer Sneako in a similar setup, and even left a former Navy SEAL bloodied in a previous session.
Nayersina posted an 18-second video to his social media, showing himself fleeing from Strickland mid-round while the UFC fighter aggressively pursued him. Afterward, Strickland posted a reflective, albeit tongue-in-cheek, comment about the difference between sparring professional fighters and social media personalities.
“I just got back from sparring and I got hit on the head quite a bit today. I have realized it’s way more fun sparring influencers than UFC fighters… I guess I’ve got to do my job.”
I’m a man of my word, I said I would show up and I did. Thank you @SStricklandMMA for your time! When should I drop the full YouTube video? pic.twitter.com/WBvwZr7FhW
— Nick Nayersina (@nicknayersina) April 22, 2025
Israel Adesanya Eyes Revenge in Potential Sean Strickland Rematch
Meanwhile, another familiar name is calling for a second round with Sean Strickland — Israel Adesanya.
The former champion has remained out of action since his upset loss to Nassourdine Imavov earlier this year in Saudi Arabia. That defeat marked Adesanya’s third in his last four appearances, prompting speculation about whether “The Last Stylebender” would continue his fighting career.
In a recent video posted to his YouTube channel, Adesanya opened up about his break from sparring and how a light session with Kamaru Usman reignited his desire to return.
“I knew once I sparred it would be like, man, y’all got any fights?” Adesanya said. “I told my coach, ‘Yeah, it’s time.’ Like, I just knew.”
And while there are several possible matchups available, Adesanya is fixated on just one: a rematch with Sean Strickland.
“I have to get some get back. Strickland. I’m going to get him back,” he declared.
Strickland, who shocked the MMA world by dominating Adesanya at UFC 293, currently sits at No. 2 in the UFC middleweight rankings, just ahead of Adesanya, who is positioned at No. 4. While no fight has been announced, the storyline writes itself: a vengeance-seeking former champion versus the outspoken brawler.