At the UFC 328 face-off, Khamzat Chimaev kicked Sean Strickland in the leg after a heated verbal exchange. Strickland called Chimaev a coward after the kick. The altercation began when Dana White tried to calm the fighters. Chimaev threatened not to touch Strickland, but Strickland challenged him, calling him a "dog" and saying he wouldn't do anything. Chimaev responded angrily before kicking Strickland. The full dialogue transcript shows the escalating tension between the two fighters ahead of their upcoming bout.
Two days before their scheduled UFC 328 middleweight title fight, Khamzat Chimaev physically struck Sean Strickland during the official face-off, landing a leg kick that ignited a sharp exchange between the two fighters and drew Dana White into the middle of the confrontation.
The altercation unfolded when White attempted to keep the peace during what had already become a heated verbal standoff. Strickland taunted Chimaev, calling him a "dog" and daring him to act, insisting he would not follow through. Chimaev responded with visible anger before delivering the kick. Strickland immediately labeled him a coward in front of the assembled media. A full transcript of the dialogue has since circulated, laying bare the escalating animosity between the pair heading into Saturday night.
Strickland, 35, enters UFC 328 as the reigning middleweight champion, carrying a 31-7-0 record. The American from Xtreme Couture is one of the most active strikers in the division, averaging 6.04 significant strikes per minute across his career with a six-foot-one frame and a 76-inch reach.
Chimaev, 32, arrives as the division's top-ranked contender and sits tenth in the pound-for-pound rankings. The UAE-based Swede owns a 15-1-0 record and brings a markedly different profile to the cage: he averages 5.29 takedowns per 15 minutes and converts strikes at a 60 percent accuracy rate, among the highest in the sport.
Why it matters
- The face-off incident adds genuine personal animosity to an already high-stakes title fight set for UFC 328 on May 9.
- A Chimaev victory would install the pound-for-pound top-ten fighter as middleweight champion and shake up the division's landscape entirely.
- The stylistic contrast is stark: Strickland's high-volume, pressure-based striking against Chimaev's elite wrestling and finishing ability.
Saturday, May 9, 2026
