Chimaev posts sparring footage with Strickland ahead of UFC 328

Khamzat Chimaev turned up the heat on fight week by posting sparring footage alongside Sean Strickland on social media, just days before the two middleweights are set to collide at UFC 328 on May 9. Chimaev accompanied the clip with a caption declaring he is "bullying weak people," a pointed message directed at the reigning champion.

Strickland enters the fight as the UFC middleweight champion, carrying a 31-7-0 record at 35 years old. The American, who trains out of Xtreme Couture and fights out of an orthodox stance, stands six-foot-one with a 76-inch reach. He is one of the most prolific output strikers in the division, landing 6.04 significant strikes per minute, though his accuracy sits at 42 percent.

Chimaev, fighting out of the United Arab Emirates and training at Allstars Training Center, comes in as the number-one ranked middleweight and the number-ten pound-for-pound fighter in the world. The 32-year-old holds a 15-1-0 record and stands six-foot-two with a 75-inch reach. His striking accuracy of 60 percent is among the best in the division, and his grappling numbers are formidable — he averages 5.29 takedowns per 15 minutes alongside 1.8 submission attempts in the same window.

Why it matters

• Strickland's championship and Chimaev's number-one ranking make this a straightforward title unification on paper, with significant divisional consequences either way.
• The stylistic contrast is stark: Strickland's high-volume striking versus Chimaev's elite wrestling and finishing ability sets up a genuine clash of approaches.
• The sparring clip and Chimaev's pointed caption signal the psychological battle between the two is already well underway heading into fight night.