It looks like another influencer found out the hard way that it’s not a good idea to challenge Sean Strickland to a sparring session, even jokingly! The former UFC middleweight champ once again turned his gym into a gladiator’s pit. The target? Influencer, Nick Nayersina. The reason? A little online poking. According to Full Send MMA, Nayersina had accused Strickland of backing out of a Navy SEAL challenge. Then he upped the ante with a loud and clear “F—- you Sean Strickland” in his video.

And that’s all it took. In the footage that has now gone viral online, Nayersina walked into Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas expecting a spar. What he got was a lesson, delivered by punches, headkicks, elbows, and thudding knees. In the video, Nayersina can be seen turtled up by the cage as Sean Strickland rains down heavy artillery. Elbow pads or not, the message was unmistakable. The influencer tries to run, only to be chased down as someone in the background yells, “Don’t run!”

The caption for the video read, “Another influencer decided it would be a good idea to spar former UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland today. Nick Nayersina showed up to Strickland’s home gym of Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas after calling him out for apparently backing out of a Navy Seal challenge. Strickland obviously didn’t take to kindly to it and it went exactly how you thought it would.”

If it feels familiar, that’s because it is. Internet personality Sneako ended up on the receiving end of a similar beating at the UFC Performance Institute a while back. That sparring session got so brutal that UFC veteran Forrest Griffin himself had to wave it off. Towels flew from all directions, but Strickland never let up until the very end, then raised Sneako’s hand in a gesture of respect.

‘Tarzan’ seems to have built a side gig out of ‘influencer eliminations, ’ but the brutal nature of the sparring footage against an untrained opponent has left the fans questioning his intentions. Here’s a look at what the netizens had to say!

Sean Strickland demolishes another influencer as fans turn on him online

One fan brought up a question that’s echoing through the internet. Yes, Sean Strickland wore pads. But elbows are still elbows—and they land like bricks. For many, the brutality was too much, especially using them against someone with little to no combat experience. What do you think?

“Bruh why he throwing elbows tho”

Another fan cut right to the bone. They see these beatdowns as a front, possibly a desperate attempt to feel powerful again after losing his belt to Dricus Du Plessis. While Strickland often promises to ‘go to war’ for the fans, a 69% decision rate in the UFC stands in stark contrast to his antics during sparring with social media stars.

“Where was this energy against DDP”

The jabs about Strickland’s risk-averse style inside the cage kept on coming. In fact, even his coach, Eric Nicksick stated after his performance against Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 312, “It was uninspired fighting to me, it just seemed like he was sleepwalking.”

“These usually are his most exciting fights to watch”

Yet again, the ghosts of ‘Tarzan’s performance in the rematch against Du Plessis reared up their ugly head. One fan claimed that Strickland’s antics against influencers in sparring are a way to “make up” for his lackluster showing inside the Octagon. Whether that’s true or not, the fact remains that the MMA sphere is seemingly done with watching a UFC fighter brutalize social media personalities.

“gotta beat up influencers to make up for his pathetic title fight performance”

In fact, for some fans, the goodwill Stricklands’ unfiltered persona may have earned seems to be disappearing fast. From a warrior to a bully, the fall from grace in his public perception has been shocking, to say the least.

“Only way Sean can get a win these days.. don’t see that energy when he’s sparring or fighting pro fighters he’s become so unlikeable it’s disappointing lol”

To wrap things up, at first, Sean Strickland’s wild gym wars may have come off as entertaining sideshows. But after this latest clip with Nick Nayersina, many fans are wondering—when does tough love turn into just plain tough to watch?

While Strickland clearly isn’t one to back down from a challenge, his tendency to go full throttle against influencers with no real combat training is starting to feel less like grit and more like overcompensation. Sure, Strickland might still be swinging hard, but is he swinging in the right direction? What do you think? Let us know in the comments below!