Sean Strickland posted a controversial tweet criticizing New York and its residents ahead of his fight against Khamzat Chimaev in Newark, New Jersey. The fight will take place in Newark, which is located very close to New York City, approximately 35 minutes by car from Prudential Center to Central Park. Instead of following the typical promotional playbook of praising the local area, Strickland called New York 'a perfect example of what it means to be a Democrat' and said children, adults, and leaders there are 'pathetic.' He stated that New York and most of its residents are 'a disgrace to America,' claiming people there are either criminals or wealthy individuals without backbone.
Sean Strickland is taking an unconventional approach to fight week promotion, torching the greater New York area on social media ahead of his middleweight title defense against Khamzat Chimaev in Newark, New Jersey.
The reigning UFC middleweight champion posted a broadside on social media calling New York "a perfect example of what it means to be a Democrat" and labeling its children, adults, and leaders "pathetic." He went further, calling New York and most of its residents "a disgrace to America" and claiming people there are either criminals or wealthy individuals without backbone — a sharp departure from the usual promotional routine of flattering the host city.
Newark sits roughly 35 minutes by car from Central Park, close enough that the Prudential Center crowd figures to include no shortage of the New Yorkers Strickland just insulted.
Strickland, 35, carries a 31-7-0 record into the bout and holds UFC gold at middleweight. The six-foot-one orthodox fighter out of Xtreme Couture is one of the sport's most active strikers, landing 6.04 significant strikes per minute.
Standing across from him will be Khamzat Chimaev, ranked first in the middleweight division and tenth on the pound-for-pound list. The 32-year-old representing the United Arab Emirates owns a 15-1-0 record and trains out of Allstars Training Center in Sweden. At six-foot-two with a 75-inch reach, Chimaev brings elite wrestling to complement his striking, averaging 5.29 takedowns per 15 minutes and a striking accuracy rate of 60 percent.
Why it matters
- Strickland's title is on the line against the division's top-ranked contender
- A Chimaev victory would place the pound-for-pound top-ten fighter atop the middleweight division
- The stylistic contrast is stark: Strickland's high-volume striking against Chimaev's smothering grappling and takedown threat
- Strickland's social media provocation guarantees a hostile Newark crowd, adding an unusual backdrop to an already high-stakes championship fight
