Hamzat Chimaev stated he doesn't believe Sean Strickland truly wants a real fight outside the cage, suggesting Strickland would already be dead if he did. Chimaev referenced the Muslim community in New Jersey and said Strickland won't be walking around with weapons there, adding that either many people would end up in jail or Strickland would die. When asked about past sparring sessions with Strickland, Chimaev claimed Strickland couldn't do anything against him even when Chimaev fought at 170 pounds. He said he beat Strickland in sparring and is now bigger and hungrier, comparing Strickland to white American chicken meat he enjoys eating.
Hamzat Chimaev has escalated his war of words with Sean Strickland, publicly questioning whether the middleweight champion would truly seek a real confrontation outside the cage — and warning that if he did, the consequences would be severe.
Speaking recently, Chimaev dismissed the idea that Strickland genuinely wants a street fight, saying bluntly that Strickland would already be dead if that were the case. He pointed to the Muslim community in New Jersey, suggesting Strickland would not be walking around with weapons there, and stated that any such encounter would end either with many people behind bars or with Strickland not surviving it.
Chimaev also addressed their history inside the gym, claiming Strickland could not do anything against him during past sparring sessions — sessions that took place when Chimaev was still competing at welterweight. He emphasized that he is now bigger and hungrier, and delivered a pointed insult by comparing Strickland to white American chicken meat he says he enjoys eating.
Strickland, 35, holds the UFC middleweight title and carries a professional record of 31 wins and 7 losses. Fighting out of Xtreme Couture, the six-foot-one American has a 76-inch reach and is one of the division's most active strikers, averaging 6.04 significant strikes landed per minute at a 42 percent accuracy rate.
Why it matters
- Chimaev's comments keep pressure on Strickland and signal a clear desire to compete at middleweight
- A potential matchup would pit Chimaev's grappling-heavy style against one of the division's most durable and high-volume strikers
- The sparring claim adds a personal edge to what is already a heated rivalry between two fighters with sharply opposing public personas
