Khamzat Chimaev holds the UFC middleweight title after beating Dricus du Plessis by unanimous choice at UFC 319. Sean Strickland earned his shot with a third-round knockout of Anthony Hernandez at UFC Houston in February. Their foremost occasion tops UFC 328 on Might 9 at Prudential Heart in Newark, New Jersey. Battle week begins quickly, and the 2 have traded pictures on-line that hit beneath the belt.
UFC 328 Trash Discuss Heats Up: Chimaev and Strickland Go Private on Social Media
Chimaev and Strickland used to coach collectively. Issues turned bitter over time. Strickland has referred to as Chimaev a terrorist due to his ties to Ramzan Kadyrov, the Chechen Republic chief wished on warfare crimes expenses. He went off in a media scrum, saying he would pull a gun if Chimaev and his crew approached him outdoors the cage. “I’mma pull my gun out. I’m going to shoot him,” Strickland mentioned. He added that his Muslim associates would soar Chimaev if it got here to that, and he would possibly find yourself in handcuffs throughout combat week.
Chimaev fired again on X. He posted an outdated photograph of a younger Strickland with lengthy hair subsequent to a person, writing, “You’ll be able to cry that’s okay for, your father make you a woman.” Then he shared the identical image with the caption, “This image exhibits all the pieces who’s the person who’s the lady.” Followers picked up on it fast, sharing the posts throughout MMA accounts.
This image exhibits all the pieces who’s the person who’s the lady
pic.twitter.com/DPtSB2wI98
— Khamzat Chimaev (@KChimaev) May 1, 2026
Strickland hit on Chimaev’s background too. He mocked Muslims basically, calling out fighters like Nassourdine Imavov for praying on rugs and tying it to goats in crude jokes. UFC stepped in to restrict contact between the camps after the threats. Chimaev shrugged it off in media exercises, saying threats are boring and he loves the discuss as a result of it builds the combat.
This back-and-forth goes private quick. Chimaev targets Strickland’s powerful childhood he has talked about publicly. Strickland leans into politics and stereotypes. Count on faceoffs to remain heated with out palms thrown earlier than the bell. Pay-per-view numbers ought to climb from the noise.
