Sean Strickland says Chimaev conflict was real but hatred is in the past

Sean Strickland has spoken openly about his rivalry with Khamzat Chimaev in the days following their UFC 328 clash on May 9, saying the animosity between the two was genuine but that he has moved past it.

Strickland, the reigning middleweight champion, acknowledged that the two men had simply been "shortening each other's lives" inside the octagon and that the hatred has now run its course. He expressed goodwill toward Chimaev and voiced hope that the Chechen-born contender will go on to dominate at light heavyweight.

The 35-year-old American out of Xtreme Couture carries a 31-7-0 professional record and has built his championship reign on relentless volume striking, landing 6.04 significant strikes per minute with a six-foot-one, 193-centimeter frame and a 76-inch reach.

Chimaev, fighting out of Allstars Training Center and representing the United Arab Emirates, entered UFC 328 as the division's top-ranked contender and the number-ten fighter on the pound-for-pound list. The 32-year-old holds a 15-1-0 record and brings a physically imposing six-foot-two, 188-centimeter build alongside some of the most punishing grappling numbers in the sport, averaging 5.29 takedowns per 15 minutes and 1.8 submission attempts in the same span, complemented by a striking accuracy of 60 percent.

Why it matters

• The public reconciliation closes one of middleweight's most heated recent rivalries following a fight that clearly took a toll on both men.
• Strickland's well-wishes toward Chimaev at 205 pounds signals he views the Swede-trained fighter's future as a light heavyweight, with implications for how the middleweight title picture reshapes itself.
• Both fighters were ranked inside the top ten pound-for-pound at or near fight time, meaning the outcome carries weight beyond the divisional standings.