TLDR
- Sean Strickland shared a story about nearly shooting himself during Russian roulette on the Shawn Ryan podcast
- A woman named Jackie grabbed the gun from his hand and stopped him from pulling the trigger
- Strickland said he later checked the cylinder and confirmed he would have shot himself
- The UFC champion revealed he no longer keeps revolvers accessible because they trigger suicidal thoughts
- The four-hour interview covered Strickland’s troubled youth and path to becoming a two-time UFC champion
Sources: mmamania.com | yardbarker.com
UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland shared a disturbing story from his past during a four-hour interview on the Shawn Ryan podcast. The fighter described a near-fatal incident involving Russian roulette that he says still gives him chills.
Strickland told Ryan that a woman named Jackie stopped him from pulling the trigger during what he called a moment of extreme adrenaline fixation. The incident occurred when he was younger and involved a .38 revolver loaded with a single round.
The Near-Fatal Moment
According to Strickland, he was talking to Jackie while spinning the cylinder of the loaded gun. He downplayed the danger, telling her the odds were “one in six” and that those were “good odds.”
“I’m working myself up to it. I’m having a conversation with her, I have every bit of adrenaline and dopamine just being saturated in my brain right now,” Strickland said during the podcast.
He described cocking the gun back while talking to himself and trying to work up the courage to squeeze the trigger. Jackie began crying and grabbed the gun from his hand.
She threatened to leave him if he ever tried such a thing again. Strickland said he later opened the cylinder to see where the round had been positioned.
“I was about to shoot myself in the head,” he told Ryan.
Sean Strickland says he nearly shot himself in the head playing Russian Roulette
“It gives me chills to this day. I put the round in and I spin it. I cock it back and she starts f*cking crying and grabs the gun.
I was like ‘let’s just see what would’ve happened’. I opened it up…
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) July 27, 2026
Ongoing Mental Health Struggles
The UFC champion also revealed he no longer keeps revolvers accessible in his home. He said handling them triggers unwanted thoughts about self-harm.
“I can’t even own a revolver. I have one little .22 revolver that I don’t touch because every time I pick it up, I can’t stop thinking about killing myself,” Strickland said.
He explained that drinking alcohol would be dangerous for him because it lowers inhibitions. “If I was drinking, I’d be dead or I’d be in prison,” he stated.
The wide-ranging podcast interview covered multiple topics from Strickland’s life. These included his troubled youth, mental health issues, and the path that led him to become a two-time UFC champion.
Strickland discussed his difficult childhood and experiences with abuse. He also talked about falling in with dangerous groups during his younger years.
The interview lasted over 240 minutes, making it one of the most extensive podcast appearances by an active UFC fighter. Ryan’s show is known for featuring long-form conversations with guests from various backgrounds.
Strickland currently holds the UFC middleweight championship. He has not announced a date for his next title defense or who his next opponent will be.
The fighter thanked Jackie by name during the podcast for saving his life that day. “You saved my life, Jackie, thank you,” he said while recounting the story.
