Imavov offers Strickland $500,000 of his own money to book title fight

Nassourdine Imavov has put his own money on the table in an attempt to get a middleweight title fight booked. The Frenchman publicly offered to pay champion Sean Strickland $500,000 out of his own pocket if Strickland beats him in a January title bout.

The offer follows pay issues that pushed the rematch off UFC 335, which takes place December 12. That card is headlined by Charles Oliveira vs. Diego Lopes for the BMF title, with Alex Pereira vs. Sergei Pavlovich in the co-main event. Strickland had suggested he was not offered enough money for the fight, and his title defense now appears likely to slip into 2027. Imavov also called on the UFC to strip Strickland of the belt if he refuses to fight.

The champion

Strickland, 35, holds the middleweight title with a 31-7 record. The American trains out of Xtreme Couture and fights from an orthodox stance. He is a volume striker, landing 6.04 significant strikes per minute at 42 percent accuracy. He stands six-foot-one with a 76-inch reach.

The challenger

Imavov, 30, is ranked third at middleweight and carries a 17-4 record. He represents France and trains at MMA Factory. At six-foot-three with a 75-inch reach, he is the taller man, and he lands 4.28 significant strikes per minute at a sharper 54 percent accuracy. He also offers a grappling threat, averaging one submission attempt per 15 minutes against Strickland's 0.2.

Why it matters

• The middleweight title picture is stalled, with a rematch that was targeted for UFC 335 now unlikely to happen before 2027.
• Imavov's offer and his call to strip the belt increase pressure on both Strickland and the UFC to resolve the pay dispute.
• A January bout would pit Strickland's high-volume pressure against Imavov's more accurate, longer-framed striking.