The history of a fighter`s journey often involves changes in training environments, and for former UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland, a particular chapter at MMA legend Dan Henderson`s Team Quest gym remains a subject of differing recollections.
Years after Strickland`s time training under Henderson`s roof, the two prominent figures in the sport hold conflicting accounts of why their training partnership eventually dissolved. The core of the disagreement centers on Strickland`s behavior and the reasons for his eventual departure from the gym.
According to Dan Henderson, speaking recently on the *Overdogs Podcast*, Strickland`s conduct, particularly his online commentary about training partners, became problematic. Henderson recounted instances where Strickland would get into arguments during training sessions and subsequently take his grievances online, criticizing gym mates publicly. Henderson viewed this as disrespectful to the individuals who were training alongside Strickland, helping him improve. He stated that after numerous warnings, the decision was made to part ways, despite acknowledging Strickland as a valuable and hard-training partner in the gym itself.
Strickland, known for his unfiltered responses, has offered a different perspective. Reacting to Henderson`s comments, Strickland disputes the notion that he was explicitly “kicked out.” His version suggests that the primary reason for his departure was the natural decline of the fight team at Team Quest following Henderson`s retirement. Strickland claims he was a primary training partner for Henderson`s final fight, and after Henderson stepped away, the team structure weakened. Strickland maintains he simply left when his gym membership was due for renewal, implying a less confrontational, more logistical end to his tenure there.
However, amidst his denial of being expelled, Strickland couldn`t help but concede one point that aligns with his well-documented personality: he readily admitted to frequently making fun of the Team Quest fight team. The root of his frustration? A perceived over-reliance on activities like yoga and a tendency to skip sparring sessions in favor of less physically confrontational training methods. He even singled out former teammate Keith Berry jokingly as an example, noting the humorous twist that they now spar regularly at a different gym, Xtreme Couture.
Strickland elaborated on his frustration, admitting to “massive gym blowups” on multiple occasions when, on sparring day, a significant portion of the team opted for yoga instead of the more intense, fight-simulating practice. This detail provides a glimpse into the clash of training philosophies that may have contributed to the underlying tension, regardless of the exact circumstances of his exit.
This historical footnote offers insight into the often-abrasive personality that has defined Strickland`s career, even as he ascended to the pinnacle of the sport by becoming a UFC champion. His intense, often confrontational style, whether in sparring or on social media, appears to be a consistent thread from his gym days to the bright lights of the octagon.
Despite the differing recollections of how their professional relationship at Team Quest concluded, a degree of mutual respect seems to remain between the two fighters. Strickland was quick to praise Henderson, referring to him as “the man” and humorously suggesting that if Henderson hadn`t retired and had witnessed the same preference for yoga over sparring among teammates, he too might have been inclined towards similar “blowups.”
Ultimately, the exact sequence of events leading to Sean Strickland`s departure from Team Quest remains a classic case of two individuals remembering a past situation through slightly different lenses, colored perhaps by differing priorities – one emphasizing team cohesion and public respect, the other focused on intense, specific fight training and a disdain for perceived softness.
