Khamzat Chimaev has published video footage showing him sparring with Sean Strickland. The two middleweight contenders trained together, with Chimaev sharing the session on social media. Both fighters are ranked in the UFC's middleweight division and represent potential future title challengers. The nature and intensity of the sparring session was not detailed in the post. This type of high-level training between top contenders is relatively common but still generates interest among fans.
Khamzat Chimaev recently shared video footage on social media showing himself sparring with Sean Strickland, giving fans a rare look at two of the middleweight division's biggest names training together.
Strickland, known as "Tarzan," is the reigning UFC middleweight champion and carries a 31-7-0 professional record. The 35-year-old American trains out of Xtreme Couture and fights out of an orthodox stance, standing six-foot-one with a 76-inch reach. He is one of the sport's most prolific strikers, landing 6.04 significant strikes per minute, and his volume-heavy approach has made him a difficult puzzle for opponents at 185 pounds.
Chimaev, nicknamed "Borz," sits at the top of the middleweight rankings at number one and is also ranked tenth pound-for-pound. The 30-year-old — fighting out of the United Arab Emirates and training at Allstars Training Center — holds a 15-1-0 record and brings a markedly different skill set to the cage. He lands 4.04 significant strikes per minute with a remarkable 60 percent striking accuracy, and his grappling is among the most threatening in the division, averaging 5.29 takedowns and 1.8 submission attempts per 15 minutes.
Why it matters
- Strickland and Chimaev are the champion and the number-one ranked contender, making any interaction between them a source of significant divisional intrigue.
- Their contrasting styles — Strickland's relentless striking volume versus Chimaev's elite wrestling and high-accuracy offense — make for a compelling stylistic matchup on paper.
- Chimaev's social media post keeps the pressure on the champion and signals continued activity at the top of the 185-pound division.
The details of the session, including its intensity and full context, were not disclosed in the post.
