Sean Strickland vs Nassourdine Imavov in the works for UFC Florida card in 2027

A middleweight fight between Sean Strickland and Nassourdine Imavov is reportedly being worked on for a UFC card in Florida in February 2027. The bout has not been made official, and the matchup should be treated as an unconfirmed report for now.

If it comes together, it would be a rematch. Strickland beat Imavov by unanimous decision over five rounds at a UFC Fight Night on January 14, 2023.

Strickland, nicknamed "Tarzan," is 31-7-0 and holds the middleweight title. The 35-year-old American from Xtreme Couture is coming off a split-decision win over Khamzat Chimaev in a five-round title fight at UFC 328 on May 9, 2026, his most recent recorded fight. Before that he stopped Anthony Hernandez by TKO in the third round in February 2026. He lands 6.04 significant strikes per minute at 42 percent accuracy.

Imavov, "The Sniper," is 17-4-0 and ranked third at middleweight. The 30-year-old Frenchman trains at MMA Factory and has won his three most recent recorded fights: a unanimous decision over Caio Borralho in September 2025, a second-round TKO of Israel Adesanya in February 2025, and a decision over Brendan Allen in September 2024. He lands 4.28 significant strikes per minute at 54 percent accuracy and averages one submission attempt per 15 minutes.

Why it matters

• Strickland holds the belt and Imavov sits third in the rankings, so a rematch would carry clear divisional weight.
• Imavov has the sharper striking accuracy, 54 percent to 42, but Strickland throws far more, landing 6.04 per minute to 4.28.
• Imavov stands two inches taller at six-foot-three, while Strickland's 76-inch reach is one inch longer than Imavov's 75.
• Strickland won their first meeting on the scorecards, so Imavov would be looking to reverse a decision loss from more than three years earlier.

Nothing beyond the February 2027 target and the Florida location has been reported, and no further details of the card have surfaced.