Nassourdine Imavov

Sean Strickland reportedly signed a new six-fight UFC contract before defeating Khamzat Chimaev for the middleweight championship. The report comes amid Strickland’s public frustration with fighter pay and unresolved negotiations for a title defense against Nassourdine Imavov. The UFC has not publicly confirmed the contract’s length or financial terms, so the report remains attributed rather than official. If accurate, the agreement could limit Strickland’s ability to leave the promotion while negotiations over his next defense continue. No title-fight agreement with Imavov had been finalized in the reported update.

Strickland, Chimaev

Israel Adesanya says that when he walks away from fighting he will stay retired, stating "once I'm done, I'm f*cking done." The two-time UFC middleweight champion, 37, is on a four-fight losing streak, including finishes against Joe Pyfer, Nassourdine Imavov and Dricus du Plessis. He said he doesn't want to be a fighter who comes back because he doesn't know what to do with himself, and expects to scratch the adrenaline itch with other risks outside combat sports.

Plessis, Adesanya, Pyfer

Sean Strickland said he was finished with the UFC and wanted to pursue boxing in a video posted October 8. The UFC middleweight champion criticized fighter pay and said the promotion no longer cared enough about its athletes. No boxing bout has been announced, and Strickland reportedly remains under UFC contract. The comments create uncertainty around his next title defense, including the unresolved possibility of a fight with Nassourdine Imavov. Any formal contract change, vacancy, or disciplinary action has not been reported.

Strickland

Nassourdine Imavov is one of the UFC's most explosive middleweights, and this old sparring footage with Rountree is wild. The clip shows a young Imavov trading shots with Khalil Rountree inside a crowded Paris gym, with MMA Factory branding on the wall and teammates crowding the ring as both men throw hard, relentless combinations. Imavov, born in Dagestan and raised in France since age nine, now owns a 17-4 record in mixed martial arts after outstriking Caio Borralho at UFC Paris, while Rountree fights as a ferocious light heavyweight with nine knockout wins. Known for dominant jabs and devastating counters, Imavov is negotiating a rematch with Sean Strickland as of October 2026. #ufc #mma #sparring #france #paris

Jr.

Nassourdine Imavov has publicly offered to pay Sean Strickland $500,000 out of his own pocket if Strickland beats him in a January title fight. The offer comes after pay issues pushed the middleweight rematch off UFC 335, which is headlined by Charles Oliveira vs. Diego Lopes for the BMF title with Alex Pereira vs. Sergei Pavlovich as co-main event. Strickland had suggested he was not offered enough money for the bout, and the title defense now appears likely to slip into 2027. Imavov called on the UFC to strip Strickland if he refuses the fight.

Strickland

Potential Main and Co-Main for UFC 335. What do y’all think? Comment 👇

Oliveira, Strickland