Strickland cites Francis Ngannou when revealing his reason for carrying a gun.

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

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Sean Strickland There's an explanation for him carrying a gun, even though he's one of the biggest names in world MMA. The American is preparing to lead the... UFC 328, scheduled for May 9th, when he faces Khamzat Shimaev for the middleweight title (up to 83,9 kg). In the midst of training camp for the duel against his rival, the former champion has been training with Francis Ngannou, something that, according to him, helps illustrate the reason for reinforcing his own security.

In a video published by MVP, Strickland recounted that the justification arose precisely from a conversation with the Cameroonian fighter. On that occasion, the fighter stated that he responded to Ngannou's question by suggesting that he observe himself, referring to his training partner's physique and knockout power.

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"Then Franci asked me once why I carry a gun. I told him to look in the mirror," he said. Sean Strickland.

Khamzat Chimaev trains hard to face Sean Strickland at UFC 328.

While outside the octagon Strickland has the advantage of weapons to defend himself, inside the octagon the American will need to be in shape to keep up with the pace of... Khamzat Shimaev.

In a video posted by Adam Zubayraev, Chimaev appears in a sparring session with Brendan allen, currently ranked fourth in the category. Despite their close competition in the division, post-training images show the American visibly exhausted after the activity.

Khamzat Shimaev sparring with Brendan allen ahead of the Sean Strickland Fight! 👏

via: @AdamZubayraev pic.twitter.com/AzU9cpcuFs

— Red Corner MMA (@RedCorner_MMA) April 22, 2026

Brendan allen after sparring with Khamzat Shimaev 😬

(Via @AdamZubayraev ) https://t.co/1D3cI650Fp pic.twitter.com/4NvefnZo9b

— Red Corner MMA (@RedCorner_MMA) April 22, 2026