Sean Strickland was in Newport Beach, California, where Khamzat Chimaev is currently training. Throughout the day, Strickland tagged his location on social media stories, hoping to encounter Chimaev's team. Strickland stated he was responding to Chimaev saying he would try to kill him on the street. He emphasized he was just ten minutes from Chimaev's gym and that fighters training with Chimaev follow him and would have seen his location tags. Strickland expressed disappointment that Chimaev did not show up, stating "I'm the last guy in America you should be messing with."
