Sean Strickland and Nassourdine Imavov are being targeted for a matchup at UFC 335, set to take place in Las Vegas on December 12. The bout is currently in development and has not yet been officially confirmed.
Sean Strickland and Nassourdine Imavov are being targeted for a middleweight showdown at UFC 335, with the Las Vegas card penciled in for December 12. The matchup is currently in development and has not been officially confirmed.
Strickland, 35, is the reigning middleweight champion and brings a 31-7-0 record into any potential outing. The American fighter out of Xtreme Couture is one of the sport's most prolific volume strikers, averaging 6.04 significant strikes landed per minute with a 76-inch reach at six-foot-one. He is an orthodox pressure fighter who rarely slows down, though his 42 percent striking accuracy reflects the relentless pace he imposes rather than a selective approach.
Imavov, fighting out of France and training with MMA Factory, is currently ranked third in the middleweight division with a record of 17-4-0. The 30-year-old stands six-foot-three and carries the nickname "The Sniper," a nod to a striking game that connects at 54 percent accuracy while averaging 4.28 significant strikes per minute. He also shows a more well-rounded threat than his striking pedigree might suggest, averaging one submission attempt per 15 minutes.
Why it matters
- A win for Strickland would further cement his run as champion against a top-three divisional threat
- Imavov has positioned himself as one of the middleweight division's most credible contenders, making this a legitimate title-picture bout
- The contrasting styles — Strickland's volume-heavy pressure versus Imavov's measured accuracy and submission threat — set up an intriguing technical puzzle
- Both fighters are orthodox and similarly rangy, meaning the finer details of distance management could prove decisive
