Khamzat Chimaev has shared a video on social media showing sparring footage between himself and Sean Strickland. The post does not provide additional context about when or where the sparring session took place, nor does it offer details about the nature of their training together. The announcement simply confirms that the video has been published by Chimaev. No commentary on the quality or outcome of the sparring is included in the brief post.
Khamzat Chimaev took to social media on May 6 to post sparring footage featuring himself and middleweight champion Sean Strickland, though the clip came without context about when or where the session took place.
Strickland, known as "Tarzan," holds the UFC middleweight title and carries a record of 31-7-0. The 35-year-old American trains out of Xtreme Couture and is one of the division's most active strikers, landing 6.04 significant strikes per minute at 42 percent accuracy across a career built almost entirely on the feet. Standing six-foot-one with a 76-inch reach, he has long been regarded as one of the sharpest orthodox boxers in the weight class.
Chimaev, nicknamed "Borz," enters the footage as the No. 1-ranked middleweight and sits 10th on the pound-for-pound list. The 32-year-old, who represents the United Arab Emirates and trains at Allstars Training Center in Sweden, owns a 15-1-0 record and brings a contrasting skill set to any camp setting. He lands 4.04 significant strikes per minute at a remarkable 60 percent accuracy while averaging 5.29 takedowns per 15 minutes and 1.8 submission attempts per 15 minutes — numbers that make him one of the most complete fighters in the sport today.
Why it matters
- Chimaev is the top-ranked middleweight contender, making any shared training with the champion naturally significant to the division's landscape.
- The style contrast is stark: Strickland's volume striking meets Chimaev's elite wrestling and finishing ability.
- No details about the purpose or timing of the session were provided, leaving the nature of their training relationship unclear.
