During the UFC 328 face-off, Khamzat Chimaev kicked Sean Strickland in the leg following a heated verbal exchange. Sean Strickland later commented on social media calling it "exactly what I expected from a coward." According to a transcript, Dana White attempted to calm the situation, with Chimaev saying he wouldn't touch Strickland before the physical contact occurred. Strickland had been taunting Chimaev aggressively during the confrontation. The incident escalated tensions before their scheduled middleweight title fight. This physical altercation adds another layer of intensity to an already heated rivalry.
A face-off ahead of UFC 328 turned physical on May 7 when Khamzat Chimaev kicked Sean Strickland in the leg during a heated confrontation, dramatically raising the stakes heading into their middleweight title fight scheduled for May 9.
Strickland, 35, enters the bout 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 has built his reputation on relentless output, averaging 6.04 significant strikes landed per minute with a forward, pressure-heavy style. He was aggressively taunting Chimaev during the confrontation before the kick landed, and he later took to social media to call the act "exactly what I expected from a coward."
Chimaev, 32, is the number-one ranked middleweight and sits tenth in the UFC pound-for-pound rankings. The UAE-based fighter out of Allstars Training Center holds a 15-1-0 record and brings a physically dominant game built around elite wrestling, averaging 5.29 takedowns per 15 minutes alongside a striking accuracy of 60 percent. Standing six-foot-two with a 75-inch reach, he enters the fight as the clear challenger to Strickland's throne. According to a transcript of the incident, Dana White attempted to calm the situation, and Chimaev had indicated moments before the physical contact that he would not touch Strickland.
Why it matters
- Strickland's title is on the line against the division's top-ranked challenger, making the bout the defining middleweight contest of the year
- The physical altercation at the face-off deepens an already hostile rivalry, adding an emotional edge to what was already a high-stakes stylistic clash
- Chimaev's wrestling dominance against Strickland's high-volume striking sets up a compelling style contrast once the fight reaches the Octagon
- The incident may draw disciplinary scrutiny from the commission ahead of fight night
Saturday, May 9, 2026
