Sean Strickland Vows to Dethrone Khamzat Chimaev After Serving Temporary Ban

Former middleweight champion Sean Strickland plans to join anger management classes to speed up suspension and challenge Khamzat Chimaev

Sean Strickland Vows to Dethrone Khamzat Chimaev After Serving Temporary Ban

Sean Strickland vows to defeat Khamzat Chimaev (via Bleacher Report, Bloody Elbow)

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Ever since his dominant performance to capture the middleweight title at UFC 319, Khamzat Chimaev has been called out by multiple fighters. However, former champion Sean Strickland has remained the most vocal regarding a title shot opportunity. Strickland recently had some interesting ideas to prepare the path for a potential fight against the Chechen powerhouse.

‘Tarzan’ is suspended from the UFC for his role in a physical altercation with a fighter by the Nevada State Athletic Commission for 6 months. He was suspended in July 2025, which means that there is no chance for a title fight for a long time. However, Strickland recently expressed an interesting plan and had some strong words for Chimaev in a post he made on X.

Well! Ready to put this to bed and get back in the cage. Can’t have a terrorist as a champion, sadly, I think I’m the only one to change that. Appreciate the commission for getting this done. Anger management, here I come.

Sean Strickland via X

Not long after Chimaev’s victory at UFC 319, Strickland put out a post claiming that he would get back in the win column to challenge Chimaev for the title. He also claimed that he was the only one who could out-grapple ‘Borz’ and defeat him on the ground. However, the new middleweight champion completely dismissed Strickland’s claims and reminded him of their training sessions.

The relationship between ‘Tarzan’ and Chimaev was not always as sour. Both fighters shared a friendship fueled by mutual respect and admiration. The two fighters used to train together at Xtreme Couture gym in Las Vegas. However, they started beefing after Strickland called out Chimaev for having relations with Chechen warlord Ramzan Kadyrov and scamming fans with crypto ventures.

Ever since then, the two have been in a back-and-forth battle, exchanging insults and threats. Strickland has commended Chimaev’s wrestling in the past, but constantly diminishes the Chechen grappler’s prowess after their online scuffles. It remains to be seen what is next for Strickland once he comes back after serving his suspension period.

Khamzat Chimaev talks about his sparring sessions and Sean Strickland’s claims

There is no doubt that Khamzat Chimaev’s grappling prowess and ground control are unmatched in the UFC. The Chechen-born fighter uses core strength and creative positions to put his opponents in deep waters. He is known for his hard work and intense training methods. However, Strickland claims that ‘Borz’ was “weak” and could not match up against ‘Tarzan’ in sparring.

Khamzat Chimaev talks about training sessions with Sean Strickland
Khamzat Chimaev talks about training sessions with Sean Strickland (via Tiger Muay Thai, UFC)

‘Borz’ didn’t waste any time and reminded ‘Tarzan’ about his comments appreciating the Chechen powerhouse. Chimaev cleared the air regarding the sparring session and reminisced about how it actually went, and questioned Strickland’s claims.

He said he beat me in sparring, but there were a lot of guys around who saw me choking him and beating him up. It was even recorded on camera. So we have some unfinished business in the Octagon.

Khamzat Chimaev via Red Corner MMA

As the verbal conflict continues, fans wonder if it will cross over into an official UFC match or stay an online war of words. For the time being, sparring sessions that formerly provided insight into elite preparation have become a cause of controversy and public debate, adding a new chapter to the fighters’ changing storylines.

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