Short answer? Sean Strickland trains at Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas with head coach Eric Nicksick, and several profiles say he lives in the Las Vegas area too. He’s a Southern California kid, though, born in Anaheim and raised in Corona. So let’s sort out where the “Tarzan” story started and where it plays out now.
| W | Khamzat Chimaev TitleDecision - Split · R5 5:00 | UFC 328: Chimaev vs. StricklandMay 9, 2026 |
| W | Anthony HernandezKO/TKO · Punches to Head On Ground · R3 2:23 | UFC Fight Night: Strickland vs. HernandezFeb 21, 2026 |
| L | Dricus Du Plessis TitleDecision - Unanimous · R5 5:00 | UFC 312: Du Plessis vs. Strickland 2Feb 8, 2025 |
| W | Paulo CostaDecision - Split · R5 5:00 | UFC 302: Makhachev vs. PoirierJun 1, 2024 |
| L | Dricus Du Plessis TitleDecision - Split · R5 5:00 | UFC 297: Strickland vs. Du PlessisJan 20, 2024 |
Quick facts first
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Born | Anaheim, California, February 27, 1991 |
| Grew up | Corona, California |
| Main gym | Xtreme Couture, Las Vegas, Nevada |
| Head coach | Eric Nicksick |
| Current status | UFC middleweight champion in his second reign |
So where’s he actually from?
This one gets muddy online. Wikipedia lists his birthplace as Anaheim, California, and says he fights out of Corona. Other profiles say the same: born in Anaheim, raised in Corona.
But you’ll also find sites that claim Tacoma, New Bern or other places. Those don’t match the more reliable sources, so we’d skip them. If you’re settling a debate with a buddy, Anaheim for birth and Corona for growing up is the safe answer.
And where does he live now?
Honestly, this is the part where we have to be careful. One profile says he’s now based in Las Vegas, where he trains at Xtreme Couture. The same page says he trains and lives there.
That fits his gym life. But we couldn’t find a major outlet where Strickland spells out exactly where he lives. We’re not going to guess at a neighborhood, and you won’t see one here. Las Vegas is the reported base, and that’s as specific as it needs to be.
What’s the deal with Xtreme Couture?
If you follow the sport, you know the name. Randy Couture founded the organization. The flagship gym is in Las Vegas. It’s one of the largest MMA gyms in the world, at over 24,000 square feet.
Strickland has talked about it with real loyalty. UFC.com said he found a home training there. And after he won the title back, he brought the belt to the gym and thanked his training partners.
Coach Nicksick’s reaction was just as warm. He wrote that he knew how much the gym meant to Strickland, and said the belt was for him. That doesn’t read like a business arrangement, does it?
Who’s in his corner?
Strickland trains under coach Eric Nicksick. Nicksick has also worked with Francis Ngannou, Dan Ige, Miesha Tate and Chris Curtis. That’s a deep room.
Teammates talk about him, too. Cesar Almeida trains with him at Xtreme Couture. Almeida says Strickland is a healthy presence in the gym. So the “wild man” image doesn’t tell you everything about what he’s like in the room.
What about his earlier gyms?
You’ll see a few names on his résumé. Wikipedia lists Millennia MMA Gym, RVCA Training Center, Syndicate MMA and Xtreme Couture under his teams. The dates on that list overlap, so we wouldn’t treat it as a clean timeline.
What we can say is simple. Xtreme Couture is the gym tied to his title runs, and Nicksick is the coach most fans connect him with.
How does his fight camp look?
Camp is where he’s most open, and it isn’t glamorous. He’s said he has a reputation for going hard in sparring. He’s also said camp is full of injuries and the grind of cutting weight.
And the room does attract outsiders. Anthony Hernandez spent part of a camp in Las Vegas at Xtreme Couture, working around Strickland. That’s interesting, because Strickland beat Hernandez by TKO in February 2026. Fighters can end up as training partners after a fight like that.
If you’ve seen those viral sparring clips, you know what the room looks like. Videos of him knocking out or beating up sparring partners are common.
What’s next, and where will he be camping?
Here’s what you’ll want to keep in mind. Strickland upset Khamzat Chimaev by split decision at UFC 328 to win the middleweight title. Reports said he returned to Xtreme Couture soon after.
His next fight isn’t official as far as we can tell. He’s said a rematch with Nassourdine Imavov is next, with pay still being worked out. UFC 335 is set for December 12 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, and the UFC hasn’t confirmed a main event.
If that fight happens, it would be in his adopted hometown. We’d expect him to camp at Xtreme Couture again. But that’s our read, not something he’s confirmed.
One more note. In June he joked that he couldn’t become a fat POS while he heals up. Reports have also mentioned a known injury. So watch for updates before you pencil in any dates.
Is he like other fighters who move for their gym?
Sort of. Plenty of champions pick a camp over their birthplace. If you like this kind of thing, we’ve covered where Jon Jones lives and trains in Albuquerque. We’ve also covered Jack Della Maddalena’s setup. Each one shows how much the room matters.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does Sean Strickland train?
He trains at Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas under coach Eric Nicksick.
Where is Sean Strickland from?
He was born in Anaheim, California, and grew up in Corona, California.
Does Sean Strickland live in Las Vegas?
One profile says he lives and trains there. We couldn’t find a major outlet where he says so himself. We don’t share anything more specific than the city.
Who is Sean Strickland’s coach?
Eric Nicksick is listed as his trainer. Nicksick is the head coach at Xtreme Couture.
So that’s the picture. He’s a California kid who built his career in a Las Vegas gym. If a title fight lands at T-Mobile Arena in December, you’ll know where his camp probably happened. Come back and tell us what you think of the rematch.
Sources
- Yahoo Sports: Strickland celebrates title victory at Xtreme Couture
- UFC.com: Sean Strickland Always Puts In The Work
- Wikipedia: Sean Strickland
- EssentiallySports: Eric Nicksick, gym and teammates
- Meta Mat Warriors: Strickland biography
- Sherdog: Cesar Almeida on Strickland
- Middle Easy: Anthony Hernandez’s Xtreme Couture camp
- Yahoo Sports/Forbes: Strickland’s next fight
- Sports Illustrated: Strickland teases year-end fight
- MMA Mania: Strickland’s return timeline
- Wikipedia: Xtreme Couture Mixed Martial Arts
Last updated: October 2026
