Chimaev warns Strickland 'you have two days left' after face-off at UFC 328

Khamzat Chimaev delivered a blunt warning to Sean Strickland at UFC 328 media obligations on May 7, telling the middleweight champion "you have two days left" following a tense face-off between the two fighters. The statement served as Chimaev's final public message before the pair are scheduled to meet on May 9.

Strickland, 35, enters the fight as the reigning middleweight champion carrying a 31-7-0 record. The American fighter out of Xtreme Couture stands six-foot-one with a 76-inch reach and fights out of an orthodox stance. He ranks among the division's most active strikers, landing 6.04 significant strikes per minute, and has compiled his record through consistent pressure and volume output across a long career.

Chimaev, 32, holds the number-one middleweight ranking and sits tenth in the pound-for-pound standings, making him the mandatory challenger in waiting. The UAE-based Allstars Training Center product carries a 15-1-0 record and stands six-foot-two. His striking accuracy of 60 percent is among the best in the division, and his grappling remains a defining weapon — he averages 5.29 takedowns per 15 minutes alongside 1.8 submission attempts in the same span.

Why it matters

• A Chimaev victory would hand the middleweight title to the division's top-ranked contender and a top-ten pound-for-pound fighter.
• Strickland's volume striking at 6.04 significant strikes per minute contrasts sharply with Chimaev's elite takedown rate, setting up a classic wrestler-versus-striker dynamic.
• The face-off confrontation signals the rivalry has reached a peak intensity heading into fight night, raising the event's profile.