UFC Commentator Wants Fight Week Chaos Between Khamzat Chimaev and Sean Strickland

UFC commentator Jon Anik wants chaos to unfold during the build up to the title fight between Khamzat Chimaev vs Sean Strickland at UFC 328.

UFC Commentator Wants Fight Week Chaos Between Khamzat Chimaev and Sean Strickland

Khamzat Chimaev vs. Sean Strickland (via X)

In Short
  • Khamzat Chimaev and Sean Strickland's rivalry has intensified since Chimaev moved to the middleweight division.
  • Jon Anik believes the feud will enhance entertainment value at UFC 328, calling for "chaos" during fight week.
  • UFC CEO Dana White has increased security for the event due to the fighters' contentious history.

The feud between Khamzat Chimaev and Sean Strickland is about as heated as rivalries get. Things turned bitter between the former teammates ever since Chimaev moved up to the middleweight division. But veteran commentator Jon Anik believes this is a good thing.

Chimaev and Strickland were on good terms as teammates at Xtreme Couture. Since then, the two have been at odds, with both fighters claiming to have gotten the better of the other in training. The tension between them is at a breaking point as many fear Strickland and Chimaev will come to blows before even stepping foot in the octagon.

This potential for chaos is what the UFC commentary booth stalwart, Jon Anik, believes will heighten entertainment. Anik spoke on this during his appearance on MMA Junkie Radio. He likened the feud between the middleweights to other rivalries where the fighters actually disliked each other outside of the octagon.

I can’t be the only one in the fight game that roots for straight chaos, right? Whether it’s in [the] arena or at a press conference, I’m not necessarily talking about monster energy drinks flying through the air, but yeah, I mean, I want. security to have to intervene. I want friction. I do believe that when there is heat or friction or bad blood on a matchup, it only heightens things.

Jon Anik wants chaos between Sean Strickland and Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 328

Anik isn’t the only one who wants a return to the old, lawless UFC days. Lightweight Renato Moicano also recently revealed that he wanted Conor McGregor to have a successful comeback for similar reasons. However, in this instance, more chaos may not be the best outcome.

UFC CEO Dana White already expects things to get wild at the press conference, which is why he arranged additional security for the event. Moreover, it’s already costing the UFC, as they had to cancel the face-off between the middleweights given their history. So the additional excitement may come at the cost of promotion for the UFC 328 main event.

Regardless, a fight between Sean Strickland and Khamzat Chimaev is what fans are going to get. But where the former teammates go at it might just be beyond the UFC’s control. Speaking of Strickland’s teammates, a former UFC champion who trains with the American just revealed that this fight is different for ‘Tarzan’.

Francis Ngannou says fight with Khamzat Chimaev is “different” for Sean Strickland

Francis Ngannou and Sean Strickland have been teammates for quite some time now. They both train under coach Eric Nicksick, and Strickland even shared that he and Ngannou go to war sometimes in sparring. Clearly, Ngannou and Strickland know each other’s style well.

Francis Ngannou and Sean Strickland
Francis Ngannou and Sean Strickland training together [via X]

Ngannou’s revelation that this upcoming fight against Khamzat Chimaev is quite telling. He explained what differed from Sean Strickland’s other fights in an interview with Helen Yee.

[Sean Strickland] is a good teammate. We’ve been in the same gym for years now. I’ve been around before many of his fights, even though this one [against Khamzat] it’s different. It’s a very tough fight, but he has the right partner, and he’s doing a good job for it, putting emphasis on wrestling.

Francis Ngannou to Helen Yee about Sean Strickland’s preparation

It makes sense that Strickland and his coach, Eric Nicksick, are employing new methods for this training camp. For the longest time, the middleweight division has been dominated by strikers. But now, it faces a dominant champion with unmatched grappling ability in ‘Borz.’

As a result, Strickland focusing on his wrestling seems to be a wise move. Especially if you believe Joe Rogan, who thinks elite wrestling is the answer to the Khamzat Chimaev puzzle. But Borz also has a track record of doing well against elite grapplers. So even all that training might not do ‘Tarzan’ any good come May 9.

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