Sean Strickland Nickname: Why Is the UFC Champion Called ‘Tarzan’?

The current UFC middleweight champ Sean Strickland has presented himself as one of the most brash and unfiltered personas in the promotion. His attitude carries a lot of similarities with the noted UFC icon, Conor McGregor. Hence, a nickname like ‘The Notorious’ might have suited Strickland’s personality pretty well. But, most fans know that the 32-year-old carries the moniker of ‘Tarzan’. It might make them think that Strickland’s sobriquet is a bit unbecoming. But the California native had revealed the reasons behind his nickname way back in 2009.

In September 2023, the MMA-covering Instagram account, ‘Bloody Uppercut’, put out a video that showcased Strickland in 2009. ‘Tarzan’ agreed to the person making the video as he asked, “Was this your fourth professional fight?”. It revealed that Strickland was 4-0 in his pro-MMA career at that time. But, most importantly, the video also disclosed why Strickland was nicknamed ‘Tarzan’.

The long-haired ‘Tarzan’ answered the question about his moniker saying:

“Long hair, I like to climb trees and you know, [You like to brawl?] Yessir”

 

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A large chunk of fans may know about Strickland’s love for adventures in his life outside the octagon, much like Edgar Rice Burroughs’s fictional jungle-man. Well, some of them may accept Strickland’s views now that they know the reasons behind his moniker. But the UFC middleweight champ isn’t a fan of his sobriquet himself.

Sean Strickland prefers a different moniker but never calls himself by it

In 2022, Strickland appeared in an interview with the MMA-coverage persona, ‘The Schmo‘, where he revealed that he doesn’t like his nickname. He also revealed that he liked the moniker, ‘Hate’ for himself. Strickland answered a question by ‘The Schmo’ about his nickname, saying:

“I don’t know, man. It doesn’t fit me, ya know? I’ve always liked ‘Hate'”

But the 32-year-old also knew that such a moniker wouldn’t have created a pretty positive impact. Strickland also revealed the reasons why he never publicized his preferred nickname:

“But then again, that has some bad connotations, but I feel like it suits me. I’m kind of an angry motherf***er,”

However, it’s pertinent to note that Strickland counted his long hair as one of the major factors behind calling himself ‘Tarzan’. This is why he mentioned “long hair” as his first attribute to justify his sobriquet. But now that he has chosen a look with a negligible amount of hair on his head, fans may not object even if he chooses to change his moniker.