Sean Strickland went dirt bike riding with Bellator middleweight champion Johnny Eblen just two weeks before his championship bout against Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 328. According to Strickland's social media post, after completing a five-round training session together, he suggested they ride cross bikes. Strickland noted that Eblen had never ridden a dirt bike before but was willing to try. Strickland expressed respect for Eblen's mindset and readiness to participate in the activity despite his inexperience.
Sean Strickland raised a few eyebrows this week after posting on social media that he spent time dirt bike riding with undefeated Bellator middleweight champion Johnny Eblen just two weeks out from his UFC 328 title defense against Khamzat Chimaev, scheduled for May 9.
According to Strickland's post, the two had already completed a five-round training session together before he suggested they take cross bikes out for a ride. Eblen, who had never ridden a dirt bike before, agreed to give it a go. Strickland expressed genuine respect for the Bellator champion's willingness to step into unfamiliar territory.
Strickland, 35, carries a 31-7-0 record and holds the UFC middleweight title out of Xtreme Couture. The six-foot-one American has a 76-inch reach and lands an exceptional 6.04 significant strikes per minute, applying relentless forward pressure across five rounds.
Eblen, also 34 and American-born, enters the session as an unbeaten 16-0-0 fighter standing six-foot-one with a 74-inch reach. His striking numbers are striking in their own right, with a remarkable 12.3 significant strikes landed per minute and a 63.4 percent accuracy rate, making him one of the more prolific volume strikers in the sport.
The man waiting for Strickland on May 9 is Khamzat Chimaev, ranked number one in the middleweight division and tenth pound-for-pound. The 32-year-old representing the United Arab Emirates owns a 15-1-0 record and trains out of Allstars Training Center. At six-foot-two with a 75-inch reach, Chimaev is a suffocating grappler who averages 5.29 takedowns per 15 minutes and 1.8 submission attempts in the same span, while also connecting at a 60 percent striking accuracy rate.
Why it matters
- Strickland is two weeks from a middleweight title defense against the division's top-ranked contender
- A dirt bike outing this close to fight night is an unconventional pre-fight camp detail that drew social media attention
- The training session with Eblen, a high-volume striker, offers an interesting stylistic wrinkle given Chimaev's dominant grappling profile
Saturday, May 9, 2026
