Strickland Knocked Out Parsons, Then Drove Him Home

Sean Strickland knocked Jonny Parsons unconscious in sparring six weeks before Parsons' Dana White's Contender Series bout in 2021, then drove him home from the gym.

Parsons, who returns to the Octagon on Saturday against Jose Henrique Souza at UFC Vegas 124, told Danny Podolsky he barely trained after the knockout at Syndicate MMA in Las Vegas. Strickland, now a two-time UFC middleweight champion, was training at the gym before settling at Xtreme Couture.

Parsons Watched Security Footage To See What Happened

Parsons said he was tiring late in the round when Strickland caught his rhythm. The head kick landed across his jaw after Parsons slipped a jab and rolled under a straight right. "I faceplanted out cold," Parsons said, per Sherdog. "I only know what it looks like 'cause I watched the footage from the security camera afterward. Sean Strickland was nice enough to drive me home that day."

Parsons won his Contender Series fight by split decision despite the abbreviated camp. He stopped his opponent in his UFC debut in 2023 but has been sidelined since with lingering injuries from overtraining.

Parsons faces Souza at the UFC Apex on Nov. 7. It will be his first fight in three years.

Reported via:

• Sherdog — Sean Strickland knocked him out, then drove him home