Hamzat Chimaev addressed fan speculation about his upcoming fight with Sean Strickland in an interview with Adam Zubairaev. When asked if he would refuse to release a submission hold on Strickland, requiring security to intervene, Chimaev clarified his intentions. He stated he does not want to kill anyone because it is haram (forbidden in Islam). Chimaev explained that while he might do so on the street, inside the cage it is a sport and officials would not allow him to kill his opponent anyway. The comments appear to walk back some of the intense rhetoric surrounding the matchup.
Hamzat Chimaev moved to temper some of the heated rhetoric surrounding his upcoming middleweight clash with Sean Strickland, clarifying in an interview with Adam Zubairaev that he has no intention of seriously harming his opponent inside the cage.
When asked whether he would refuse to release a submission hold on Strickland and force security to intervene, Chimaev explained that killing anyone is haram — forbidden under Islamic law — and that officials inside the cage would not permit that outcome regardless. He acknowledged the sentiment might apply on the street, but stressed that competing in the UFC is a sport governed by rules.
The comments represent a notable step back from the intense pre-fight language that has surrounded this matchup.
Strickland, the reigning middleweight champion, enters the bout at 35 years old with a professional record of 31-7. The American fighter out of Xtreme Couture is one of the division's most active strikers, landing 6.04 significant strikes per minute at 42 percent accuracy. Standing six-foot-one with a 76-inch reach and fighting out of an orthodox stance, "Tarzan" has built his title reign on relentless volume and pressure.
Why it matters
- Chimaev's clarification slightly lowers the temperature on a matchup that had been drawing attention for its volatile pre-fight narrative
- The middleweight title is directly at stake, making this one of the division's most consequential bouts
- Strickland's high-output striking style will be tested against Chimaev's well-documented grappling threat, setting up a genuine stylistic contrast
