Sean Strickland Reveals Surprising Plans for Life After Retiring from the Fight Game

UFC Middleweight Champion Sean Strickland has already achieved a lot inside the Octagon; however, in a recent X post, Strickland offered his fans a view into what his life could look like once his fighting career comes to an end. 

He recently took to X to jest about his plan following his exit from the sport, joking about the National Guard and disability benefits in his typical blunt fashion.

Sean Strickland's Surprising Retirement Plan

"I've finally figured out what I'm gonna do when I retire. National Guard..Full disability....." Strickland posted on X. 

Ive finally figured out what I'm gonna do when I retire.

National guard... Full disability.....

— Sean Strickland (@SStricklandMMA) October 3, 2026

His tongue-in-cheek comment appears to be a reference to joining the National Guard after successfully completing his MMA career and eventually receiving disability benefits. However, his comment must not be interpreted as an announcement- that he is genuinely planning to enlist or that he might have already qualified for disability benefits. 

Typically, VA disability compensation is based on service-connected conditions, while military disability retirement may involve specific medical and service requirements. Moreover, eligibility and benefits depend vastly on individual circumstances. 

For Strickland, the naughty remark plays into his long-established reputation for enjoying dark humor and unconventional comments outside of his fighting career. 

Strickland Still Has Fighting Left To Do 

One way to look at it is: retirement is not on the immediate horizon for Strickland, who currently reigns as the UFC Middleweight Champion after reasserting his dominance in a split-decision victory over Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 328 in May.

This victory marked the beginning of an impressive return to the top for the fighter, who earlier in the year had defeated Israel Adesanya at UFC 293 before losing it to Dricus du Plessis at UFC 297. He then went on to lose the rematch against du Plessis at UFC 312 in February 2025, but would subsequently stop Anthony Hernandez and eventually win the belt back from Chimaev.

At 35, Strickland is evidently not slowing down anytime soon. Recent reports suggest that he may be close to defending the belt against Nassourdine Imavov, although the fight had not been officially announced at the time of publication.

For now, the National Guard and “full disability” can remain a running gag. Strickland’s next chapter in the Octagon is still being written.