Dana White: ‘I highly doubt we have a new and improved Sean Strickland’ after UFC 328

NEWARK, NEW JERSEY - MAY 07: Sean Strickland is seen on stage during the UFC 328 press conference at Prudential Center on May 07, 2026 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Mike Roach/Zuffa LLC)

Dana White saw Sean Strickland turn off the persona for a little bit following his UFC 328 win over Khamzat Chimaev, but doesn’t believe it’s something that will last.

Strickland regained the UFC middleweight title with a split decision victory over Chimaev this past Saturday in Newark, N.J. At the UFC 328 post-fight press conference, Strickland got real talking about how he was made to believe to be a bad person and a bad guy, but fighting provided him self-worth he never thought he could find.

Following Sunday’s Zuffa Boxing event, White, the UFC CEO, says we may have seen an anomole.

“I highly doubt that we have a new and improved Sean Strickland,” White said at the Meta APEX. “I’ll believe it when I see it but I’m not buying it.”

Strickland has now defied the odds twice in his championship wins, pulling off two of the biggest championship upsets in UFC history over Chimaev and Israel Adesanya. Along the way, Strickland has garnered a lot of attention — both positive and negative — for his fight promotion, and saying whatever is on his mind.

Despite Strickland’s great win, the fight buildup — which proved to be more of a work than real life — and everything else during the UFC 328 fight week, White understands why a competitor would find themselves in a more reflective state. However, again, White feels this is a short-term thing for Strickland, although he hopes it isn’t.

“Going through what they both went through leading up to this fight, I think that night, all of the emotion comes out after the win — and, yes, he broke his nose in the first round,” White explained. “I don’t know how long that will last.

“If that’s where he’s headed now, nobody’s happier than me. I promise you that. But I’m not buying it.”