Sean Strickland promises to 'beat' Khamzat Chimaev before UFC 328

Sean Strickland Promotes UFC event. Photo: Reproduction/Facebook/UFC

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Sean Strickland raised his voice against Khamzat Shimaev on the eve of UFC 328The event is scheduled for May 9th in New Jersey (USA). The American, a challenger for the middleweight title (up to 83,9 kg), had a video posted on social media during his preparation for the duel and promised to dominate the champion throughout the five rounds. Declared rivals, the fighters headline the card, in a confrontation surrounded by provocations and a history of tension.

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Confident for the title fight, Strickland highlighted his good physical condition and guaranteed that he arrives at the fight without limitations. According to the former middleweight champion, the current training camp has been one of the most positive of his career, a factor that, in his view, could be decisive for the result inside the octagon.

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“Fight like a man, hands high, let’s go. I’m going to beat him (Chimaev) with my hands for 25 minutes. I had a great camp, I’m going into this fight strong, healthy, with my body fully recovered. It’s good to fight for the title without being injured,” Strickland said in the video.

Sean Strickland on the Khamzat Shimaev fight:

“I'm gonna beat the sh*t out of him with my hands for 25 minutes.” 😳 #UFC328 pic.twitter.com/Mco0jp8GnZ

— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) April 15, 2026

Sean Strickland disapproves of Khamzat Chimaev's attitude

Before the promise of victory in New Jersey, 'Tarzan' had already criticized Chimaev's behavior at UFC Houston.On February 21st, the American, with whom he had previously shared training sessions, faced an American fighter. In the post-event interview, the American accused his rival of avoiding tougher challenges in the gym, recalling episodes that allegedly contributed to the deterioration of their relationship.

“I made him quit training. I’m going to talk about this guy… Chimaev would come to the gym and pick the smallest and weakest guy, saying, ‘he looks like my opponent.’ He wants to fight at 93 kg with Jiri, who isn’t even a champion. He just runs away and hides. He did this when he trained with us and he’s still doing it now,” Strickland stated at the post-UFC Houston press conference.

The rivalry, which began amicably during their time as partners at Xtreme Couture, has taken on a more aggressive tone in recent months. Since then, the athletes have been publicly exchanging barbs, further increasing the anticipation for their middleweight title fight on May 9th.