In an interview with Adam Zubairaev, Khamzat Chimaev addressed questions about whether he would release a submission hold on Sean Strickland in their upcoming fight. When asked if security would need to break them apart if he got Strickland in a submission, Chimaev responded humorously that he doesn't want to kill anyone because it's haram (forbidden). He clarified he's not planning to kill Strickland, joking that officials wouldn't allow it anyway. Chimaev noted that while on the street someone might die, inside the cage it's a sport with rules and intervention.
Khamzat Chimaev took a lighthearted approach to questions about his upcoming middleweight title clash with Sean Strickland, joking in a recent interview that he has no plans to finish his opponent by any means beyond what the rules allow — because killing, he explained, is haram.
Speaking with Adam Zubairaev, Chimaev was asked whether security would need to intervene if he locked in a submission on the champion. The Borz responded with humor, saying he has no desire to kill anyone since it is forbidden, and pointed out that officials would step in before things went that far. He drew a distinction between a street fight, where someone might not walk away, and a sanctioned bout governed by rules and referees.
Chimaev, 32, represents the United Arab Emirates out of Allstars Training Center and enters the fight ranked first in the middleweight division and tenth pound-for-pound. He carries a 15-1 record and brings genuine submission danger to the matchup, averaging 1.8 submission attempts per 15 minutes alongside a standout 5.29 takedowns per 15 minutes. His striking accuracy sits at 60 percent, among the highest in the division.
Strickland, 35, is the reigning middleweight champion representing the United States out of Xtreme Couture. The six-foot-one, 185-centimeter fighter holds a 31-7 record and owns one of the highest output rates in the weight class, landing 6.04 significant strikes per minute with a 76-inch reach. He averages just 0.2 submission attempts per 15 minutes, making his grappling defense a key factor if Chimaev forces the fight to the mat.
Why it matters
- Chimaev's elite grappling and submission volume pose a direct threat to Strickland's championship reign
- A victory for Chimaev would make him the first middleweight champion representing the UAE
- The stylistic contrast — Strickland's high-volume striking versus Chimaev's wrestling and submission game — sets up one of the more compelling matchups in the division
