The hostility was unimaginable to cover when Khamzat Chimaev and Sean Strickland lastly got here face-to-face forward of their conflict.
What began as easy trash discuss has became a deeply private feud between Strickland and Chimaev, with each males relentlessly firing photographs at one another throughout interviews and social media.
This Saturday, the bitter rivals will lastly get the prospect to settle their feud contained in the Octagon when “Borz” defends his middleweight title towards Strickland in the principle occasion of UFC 328 at Prudential Middle in Newark, New Jersey.
The buildup to the battle has been crammed with relentless trash discuss, private insults, and escalating threats from both camps all through UFC 328 battle week. With tensions operating dangerously excessive and issues over a attainable altercation, the UFC considerably tightened safety and largely stored Sean Strickland and Khamzat Chimaev separated behind the scenes.
However the second the 2 rivals lastly got here face-to-face on Thursday, chaos immediately erupted.
Sean Strickland Reacts To Khamzat Chimaev Kicking Him Throughout Tense UFC 328 Staredown
Sean Strickland and Khamzat Chimaev lastly shared the identical stage throughout Thursday’s UFC 328 pre-fight press convention, and the hostility was speedy. Earlier than both fighter may even settle into their seat, each males have been already exchanging heated phrases as safety rapidly stepped in to maintain them aside.
The stress solely intensified all through the presser, with each middleweights repeatedly hurling private and profanity-laced insults at each other. However issues actually boiled over throughout the post-event faceoff when Chimaev suddenly kicked Strickland, prompting safety guards and law enforcement officials to right away swarm the stage and separate the 2 earlier than the state of affairs spiraled into additional chaos.
Shortly after the chaotic altercation, Strickland took to social media, claiming he had seen the incident coming all alongside whereas blasting the undefeated Chechen as a coward.
“Precisely what I anticipated a coward to do,” Strickland wrote on X.
Whereas it initially appeared that Chimaev had kicked Strickland within the knee, UFC CEO Dana White later supplied a special model of occasions throughout an look on Nina Marie Daniele’s KICK stream, suggesting the outspoken American was truly struck within the groin.
