Sean Strickland didn't just win the UFC middleweight title at UFC 328—he fought through a nightmare to get there. The newly crowned two-time champion faced undefeated phenom Khamzat Chimaev in Newark, but what fans didn't see was the injury that nearly derailed everything.

Just days before the biggest fight of his career, Strickland suffered a significant shoulder injury during a sparring session. His coach, Eric Nicksick of Xtreme Couture, revealed on "The Ariel Helwani Show" that the injury happened on Tuesday of fight week when Strickland crashed into a wall while training with former PFL champion Johnny Eblen.

"It was hurt pretty bad," Nicksick admitted. "He landed into the wall sparring with Johnny Eblen—kind of basically a brick wall. With Sean, you have to pull that out of him—like, how hurt is he?"

The injury proved costly in the fight. Strickland's signature right cross lost its sting, and fans noticed his corner repeatedly urging him to throw the right hand more aggressively. "It definitely affected his right cross," Nicksick explained. "A lot of people heard us asking for him to finish up with the right hand. I think it took a little bit out of him."

Despite the pain, Strickland refused to back down. He told his team he was fine and would work through it—and that's exactly what he did. In a stunning split decision upset, Strickland overcame Chimaev's early takedown attempts and out-struck the champion over five brutal rounds.

The strategic approach was classic Strickland: don't get taken down, win the striking exchanges. But according to Nicksick, the game plan is always built around the fighter, not the opponent. "We lean heavily on Sean," Nicksick said. "Sean is the game plan."

For Strickland, this victory proves that sometimes the toughest opponent isn't in the cage—it's the one you carry with you. And in true champion fashion, he carried it all the way to the belt.