The UFC middleweight division is heating up with two of its most polarizing figures, Sean Strickland and Khamzat Chimaev, making headlines for their careers and escalating tensions. Strickland has been outspoken in his criticism of Chimaev, adding fuel to an interesting rivalry.
Sean Strickland Blasts Khamzat Chimaev
The US-born Sean Strickland has had a rollercoaster career in the UFC. Known for his striking ability and controversial personality, Strickland shocked the MMA world by defeating Israel Adesanya to claim the middleweight title at UFC 293 in September 2023. He would later lose the crown to Dricus du Plessis and the two are set to rematch at UFC 312 on February 9, 2025.
‘Borz’ Khamzat Chimaev has been one of the most dominant forces in the UFC since his debut. Undefeated in his career, Chimaev’s most recent victory came against former champion Robert Whittaker at UFC 308. He is widely expected to challenge the winner of the du Plessis vs. Strickland rematch for the title later this year. But mainly claim that Chimaev deserved a title shot more than Strickland did.
Strickland has also been vocal outside the Octagon, stirring controversy with his unfiltered opinions. In a recent interview, the US-born athlete said regarding Khamzat Chimaev:
“Look at the history of Chimaev, he flees his country and goes to Sweden and has this nice prosperous life with all the normal folks and then he goes back to Chechnya or wherever the f–k he’s from and he goes and gets balls deep with this dictator. The dictator is like ‘Here’s a G-wagon go train my kid and let my kid beat you up’ and Chimaev’s like ‘I signed up to be a prostitute, but you’re going too deep here’…now he has some fear for his life from this dictator, and he’s still owned….you have no dignity and you have no character.”
The animosity between Strickland and Chimaev extends beyond competition. He criticized Chimaev for fleeing Chechnya for Sweden before allegedly aligning himself with Kadyrov upon returning to Chechnya. Strickland accused him of being “owned” by the Chechen administration.
With his sights firmly set on championship gold, Khamzat Chimaev’s next move depends on the outcome of UFC 312. For Strickland, his focus is reclaiming the middleweight title at UFC 312. A victory against du Plessis would likely set up a blockbuster fight against Chimaev. Whether their differences are settled through words or fists remains to be seen.
