UFC middleweight contender Sean Strickland went dirt bike riding with Bellator middleweight champion Johnny Eblen just two weeks before his scheduled title fight against Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 328. Strickland revealed that after a five-round sparring session, he suggested they ride cross bikes together. According to Strickland, Eblen had never ridden a dirt bike before but was willing to try. Strickland praised Eblen's attitude and willingness to take on new challenges while both fighters prepare for their respective championship bouts. The recreational activity comes during the final stages of Strickland's fight camp.
Sean Strickland spent part of his UFC 328 fight camp trading sparring rounds for dirt bike trails, joining Bellator middleweight champion Johnny Eblen for a ride just two weeks before his scheduled title defense against Khamzat Chimaev on May 9.
Strickland, 35, holds a 31-7-0 record and enters the bout as the reigning UFC middleweight champion. Fighting out of Xtreme Couture, the six-foot-one American is one of the division's most active strikers, averaging 6.04 significant strikes per minute with a 76-inch reach. According to Strickland, the dirt bike outing came on the back of a full five-round sparring session — he was the one who suggested the ride afterward.
Eblen, 34, is a perfect 16-0 and holds the Bellator middleweight title, making him one of the most accomplished unbeaten middleweights outside the UFC. Standing six-foot-one with a 74-inch reach, Eblen posts a striking accuracy rate of 63.4 percent and an eye-catching 12.3 significant strikes per minute. Strickland noted that Eblen had never ridden a dirt bike before the outing but was game to try, and praised his willingness to take on something new deep into his own fight camp.
Waiting for Strickland at UFC 328 is Khamzat Chimaev, the number-one ranked middleweight and number-ten pound-for-pound fighter in the world. The 32-year-old carries a 15-1-0 record and trains out of Allstars Training Center in Sweden. Chimaev is one of the most dangerous grapplers in the division, averaging 5.29 takedowns per 15 minutes and 1.8 submission attempts per 15 minutes, and connects on 60 percent of his significant strikes.
Why it matters
- Strickland's title is on the line against the middleweight division's top-ranked contender
- Chimaev's elite wrestling rate poses a sharp stylistic contrast to Strickland's volume striking
- Both Eblen and Strickland are preparing for championship fights simultaneously, making the joint camp activity notable at such a late stage of preparation
Saturday, May 9, 2026
