Chaos between Sean Strickland and Nassourdine Imavov! 🚨 After Imavov confronted Strickland on the streets of Las Vegas, demanding he sign the contract and offering to pay him out of his own pocket, Strickland responded by threatening to walk away entirely, calling entire thing cringe and planned by Imavov. Frustrated over UFC fighter pay, the champion says he is considering vacating his 185-pound belt, moving up to light heavyweight to finish his remaining contract fights without a weight cut, and leaving for a boxing payday against Jake Paul 🎥: (@champ.rds)
Middleweight champion Sean Strickland is threatening to walk away from his 185-pound title, saying he is considering vacating the belt, moving up to light heavyweight to see out his remaining UFC contract fights without a weight cut, and then leaving for a boxing payday against Jake Paul.
The threat follows a street confrontation in Las Vegas. Nassourdine Imavov approached Strickland, urged him to sign the contract for their fight and offered to pay him out of his own pocket. Strickland answered by dismissing the whole episode as cringe and claiming Imavov planned it. He framed his frustration around UFC fighter pay.
The champion
Strickland, 35, is the reigning middleweight champion with a 31-7-0 record. The American trains out of Xtreme Couture and fights from an orthodox stance. He stands six-foot-one with a 76-inch reach, and his volume is a defining trait: he lands 6.04 significant strikes per minute at 42 percent accuracy. He averages 0.71 takedowns per 15 minutes.
The challenger
Imavov, 30, is the third-ranked middleweight contender and holds a 17-4-0 record. The Frenchman fights out of MMA Factory and is a taller, rangier orthodox striker at six-foot-three. He lands 4.28 significant strikes per minute but with notably higher accuracy, at 54 percent. He also carries more grappling threat than his stand-up reputation suggests, averaging one submission attempt per 15 minutes.
Why it matters
- A vacated title would throw the middleweight division into disarray and could leave Imavov, currently ranked third, in the mix for a vacant belt.
- A move to light heavyweight would change the landscape at 205 pounds, though Strickland framed it as a way to finish his contract rather than a long-term plan.
- The Jake Paul boxing reference shows how pay disputes are shaping fighter leverage in contract talks with the UFC.
For now, the comments reflect Strickland's frustration rather than any formal action. No filing or change to his title status has been reported, and the contract standoff with Imavov remains unresolved.
