Sean Strickland and the UFC were unable to agree on financial terms in time, leaving the planned middleweight title rematch against Nassourdine Imavov off the UFC 335 card. Strickland previously stated on social media that contract negotiations were down to money, claiming that pay was the final hurdle. He argued that Imavov lacked drawing power, stating: "We're discussing pay now. Once that detail is squared, it's locked in. The issue is no one cares about the fake Frenchman. We're almost there."
The planned middleweight title rematch between champion Sean Strickland and Nassourdine Imavov will not happen at UFC 335. Strickland and the UFC could not agree on financial terms in time, and the fight has fallen off the card.
Strickland had said publicly that the negotiations came down to money, calling pay the last obstacle to a finished deal. He suggested Imavov lacks drawing power, writing that the two sides were discussing pay and that once the detail was settled the fight would be locked in. He added that "no one cares about the fake Frenchman" and that the sides were "almost there." That optimism did not translate into an agreement before the deadline.
Strickland, 35, holds the middleweight title with a record of 31-7-0. The American, who trains out of Xtreme Couture, fights from an orthodox stance and stands six-foot-one with a 76-inch reach. He lands 6.04 significant strikes per minute at 42 percent accuracy, and averages 0.71 takedowns per 15 minutes.
Imavov, 30, is the number three ranked middleweight at 17-4-0. The Frenchman, who represents MMA Factory, is a more accurate striker at 54 percent, landing 4.28 significant strikes per minute. He is the taller man at six-foot-three with a 75-inch reach, and he averages 0.74 takedowns and one submission attempt per 15 minutes.
Why it matters
- The middleweight title picture stalls, with a top-three contender left waiting on a rematch that was in the works.
- The dispute shows how pay can hold up even a title fight, with the champion tying his availability to money.
- Strickland's comments about Imavov's drawing power frame the standoff as a question of star value as much as contract numbers.
Neither side has said whether talks will resume or when a new date might be targeted.
