Hamzat Chimaev dismissed Sean Strickland's threats about pulling a gun if a fight broke out between them outside the cage. Chimaev stated he doesn't believe Strickland truly wants a real street fight, claiming if he did, he would already be dead. Chimaev referenced the Muslim community in New Jersey and suggested Strickland wouldn't walk around with a weapon there. He also addressed past sparring sessions with Strickland when Chimaev was at welterweight, claiming Strickland had no success against him. Now competing at middleweight, Chimaev said he's bigger, hungrier, and referred to Strickland as food.
Hamzat Chimaev has fired back at Sean Strickland's threats of gun violence, dismissing the middleweight champion's bravado and insisting the two men already have a history that settles the question of who holds the edge.
Chimaev made clear he does not believe Strickland genuinely wants a street confrontation, stating plainly that if Strickland did, Chimaev would already be dead — a claim he appeared to make with full confidence. He also pointed to the Muslim community in New Jersey, suggesting Strickland would not be walking around armed in that environment.
The Chechen-born contender then shifted to sparring history, saying that when he was still competing at welterweight, Strickland found no success against him in those sessions. Chimaev noted he has since moved up to middleweight, where he says he is bigger and hungrier, and closed by describing Strickland as food.
Strickland, 35, holds a 31-7 record and is the reigning middleweight champion. Fighting out of Xtreme Couture, the six-foot-one American carries a 76-inch reach and lands an imposing 6.04 significant strikes per minute at 42 percent accuracy — numbers that reflect the relentless output that defined his title run.
Why it matters
- Chimaev's move to middleweight puts him on a direct collision course with the division's champion
- The sparring claim adds a personal layer to what was already a heated public rivalry
- Strickland's high-volume striking style — over six significant strikes per minute — would face a severe test against Chimaev's grappling-heavy pressure game
- Any future booking at 185 pounds would carry genuine divisional title implications
