(Video) Khamzat Chimaev Kicks Sean Strickland at UFC 328 Face-Off Surrounded by Horde of Security

The fight week chaos has quite literally kicked off for UFC 328 with Khamzat Chimaev kicking Sean Strickland after the pre-fight presser.

(Video) Khamzat Chimaev Kicks Sean Strickland at UFC 328 Face-Off Surrounded by Horde of Security

Khamzat Chimaev kicks Sean Strickland at the UFC 328 press conference [via Yahoo Sports]

In Short
  • Khamzat Chimaev kicked Sean Strickland during their face-off at the UFC 328 press conference.
  • The altercation nearly led to a brawl, prompting immediate separation by security personnel.
  • Tensions between the fighters have escalated throughout fight week, fueled by their heated feud.

The upcoming middleweight bout between Khamzat Chimaev and Sean Strickland remains viewed by many as a powder keg waiting to explode. Fearing the potential for chaos, Dana White even arranged for heightened security for the event. His decision was ultimately validated as Chimaev ended up kicking Strickland, nearly instigating a brawl during their face-off following the press conference for UFC 328.

Strickland and Chimaev have been entangled in an extremely heated feud even before they were booked for a title fight. The former teammates remained at each other’s throats for a while now, after each claimed to have outdid the other in training. As the fight week for UFC 328 has progressed, tensions between the pair have only escalated.

Things kicked off at the pre-fight press conference on Thursday. As the fighters faced off following a chaotic presser, they got up in each other’s faces and exchanged some heated words. Eventually, Sean Strickland began goading Chimaev into getting physical. Not one to back down, ‘Borz’ gave in to the provocation and swiftly kicked Sean Strickland down low.

The UFC 328 main eventers were then immediately separated by a horde of security personnel. This altercation served as the perfect capper to a frenzied press conference between Khamzat Chimaev and Sean Strickland.

The two lived up to the chaos Jon Anik envisioned a couple of weeks ago for the buildup to this fight. The veteran commentator believed a chaotic buildup could make this upcoming fight the most anticipated fight of the Paramount+ era.

There was no dead air during their press conference. Strickland and Chimaev insulted, ranted, and screamed at each other for the duration of the nearly 30-minute-long presser. The former teammates barely took a breath, constantly going at each other, much to the enjoyment of the crowd at RWJ Barnabas Health Hockey House within Prudential Center.

But even after all that he said to Khamzat Chimaev at the press conference, it seems Strickland is far from done. The former middleweight champion had more to say on social media after the kick. Mere minutes after this altercation, ‘Tarzan’ took to X to address the situation and put his upcoming opponent on blast.

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Sean Strickland addresses Khamzat Chimaev kicking him at the UFC 328 press conference

Sean Strickland claimed during the UFC 328 media day that nothing would happen if he and Khamzat Chimaev came face to face ahead of their fight. The American insisted that if Chimaev didn’t have “ten of his little Chechen friends,” then things would be fine. The Chechen also promised that things would not get violent between the two, saying he “loved” Strickland.

Khamzat Chimaev, Sean Strickland
Khamzat Chimaev and Sean Strickland go at each other during the UFC 328 press conference [via Yahoo Sports]

Of course, the middleweight champion reneged on this promise within seconds of being face-to-face with Sean Strickland. But it seems the former middleweight champion always expected this from Khamzat Chimaev. He revealed his thoughts about the incident at the press conference on X, keeping his response succinct.

Exactly what I expected a coward to do.

Sean Strickland via X

A decade earlier, the brawl between Daniel Cormier and Jon Jones at the MGM showed how quickly things can go awry during a heated feud between two elite fighters. The former light heavyweight champions still hold onto this grudge, with ‘Bones’ challenging DC to a fight recently despite both being retired.

Considering how bad the feud between Chimaev and Strickland has gotten, it’s a surprise that things did not escalate further. However, the potential for further anarchy persists with the fighters scheduled to face off one last time at the ceremonial weigh-ins. Given everything that has been said and done, there is a likelihood of Sean Strickland retaliating against Khamzat Chimaev tomorrow.

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