In an interview with Adam Zubairaev, Hamzat Chimaev addressed speculation about whether he would refuse to release a submission hold on Sean Strickland in their upcoming fight. When asked by Zubairaev if security might need to separate them if Chimaev gets Strickland in a submission, Chimaev jokingly responded that he doesn't want to kill anyone because it's haram (forbidden in Islam). He clarified that he has no intention of killing Strickland, adding that security wouldn't allow it anyway. Chimaev distinguished between a street fight where such an outcome might be possible and the controlled environment of sport competition in the cage. The comments were made in a lighthearted tone despite the serious nature of the hypothetical question about their highly anticipated matchup.
Hamzat Chimaev brought some dark humor to his anticipated middleweight clash with Sean Strickland, joking in a recent interview that he has no plans to finish Strickland with a submission hold and refuse to let go — because doing so would be haram, or forbidden under Islamic law.
Speaking with interviewer Adam Zubairaev, Chimaev was asked whether security might need to physically separate him from Strickland if he locked in a submission during their upcoming fight. Chimaev responded in a lighthearted tone, clarifying that he has no intention of killing anyone and that the controlled environment of a cage is very different from a street fight. He added, almost as an afterthought, that security would intervene before anything extreme could happen anyway.
The matchup pits Chimaev against reigning middleweight champion Sean Strickland, who carries a 31-7-0 record and holds the title at 185 pounds. The 35-year-old American, who trains out of Xtreme Couture, is one of the most active strikers in the division, landing 6.04 significant strikes per minute with a reach of 76 inches. His submission defense will be a talking point heading into the fight, as Strickland averages just 0.2 submission attempts per 15 minutes himself, suggesting grappling exchanges are not his preferred territory.
Why it matters
- Chimaev's comments, however joking, keep the submission threat front and center as a key narrative heading into the fight
- Strickland's striking volume is elite, but any trip to the mat could shift the dynamic significantly
- The exchange adds to the pre-fight atmosphere around what is already a highly anticipated middleweight title contest
