Strickland visits Newport Beach near Chimaev's training location

Sean Strickland spent time in Newport Beach, California, where Khamzat Chimaev is currently training, and repeatedly tagged his location on social media throughout the day hoping to encounter Chimaev's team. Strickland referenced comments Chimaev allegedly made about trying to kill him if they met on the street. He noted that he was only ten minutes from Chimaev's gym and that fighters who train with Chimaev follow him on social media and would have seen his location tags. Strickland stated he expected Chimaev to show up but he never did. He positioned himself as the last person in America that Chimaev should confront on the street. This represents an escalation in the pre-fight tension between the two middleweights ahead of their scheduled title bout.