Sean Strickland got his wish last month when he defeated Anthony Hernandez in a major main event at UFC Houston. On May 9, at UFC 328 in Newark, New Jersey, Strickland will challenge champion Kamzat Chimaev in an attempt to regain the middleweight gold.
The matchup slowly became a possibility after Strickland and Chimaev first met in the training room at Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas. Strickland has never been shy about speaking his mind, launching into verbal attacks on the current champion at every opportunity, while “Bolz” did his dirty work inside the Octagon.
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Speaking on “The Ariel Helwani Show” on Monday, Xtreme Couture head coach Eric Nicksick revealed that the top middleweight fighter has been fighting for about a month in 2021. Ultimately, he never saw the fight come to fruition, as Chimaev was in the welterweight division at the time. But from all indications, the acclaimed coach couldn’t pinpoint the cause of the breakdown in the fighters’ relationship.
“Honestly, I think they get along really well,” Nicksick told The Uncrowded . “I think they push each other well. I feel like it’s more of a competitive environment, so things have shifted and I honestly can’t tell you.”
Strickland, 35, has never known a line he was afraid to cross. His issues with Chimaev, while occasionally centered on Chimaev’s wrestling style, often became personal. Strickland has gone back and forth verbally during recent fights with Israel Adesanya and Derycus DuPlessis. Coincidentally, both pairs were the only times the American competed in a title fight – he beat Adesanya and then lost both fights to Du Plessis.
Sean Strickland faces a tough task when he challenges UFC middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev. (Photo: Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)
(Jeff Bottari via Getty Images)
Although Nicksick was on Strickland’s side in all three collisions, he admitted there was something more unique about Chimaev’s game.
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“It’s a different vibe, a different feel. It really is,” Nicksik said. “I think there’s a competitive nature between these two guys and I hope they don’t make it more of an emotional battle than a tactical battle. But I feel like the emotion behind it is more important to them than the championship. I think it’s more about bragging rights.”
The middleweight championship stage has been Strickland’s home since his brief reign as champion in 2023. Although he has alternated wins and losses in his four fights since then, he only needs one win apiece to ensure he has a chance to challenge for the title.
This time, the title shot comes during an interesting moment in The Division. Chimaev has yet to mount a defense after deposing Du Plessis last August. Meanwhile, strong contender Nassourdine Imavov has emerged as the expected No. 1 challenger with five consecutive wins over top contenders.
Ultimately, the UFC moved in Strickland’s direction, and Nicksyk saw both sides of the contender coin.
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“Part of me does feel bad for him and everybody, but he’s a great guy and he did his job,” Niksik said of Imavov. “But as a promotion, I think it makes a lot of sense, just the heat and the noise behind it. Former training partners, if you will, and things like that. I can understand why the promotion decided to go this route, but I also understand why Imavov would feel slighted at this position as well. But, you know, he’s a guy who’s always ready because you never know when your opportunity is going to come up. The same thing happened with our team. [Adesanya] struggle. We got the call at short notice because [du Plessis] Not planning to fight ‘Izzy’ gave Sean the opportunity to fight. “
The budding feud between Strickland and Chimaev promises to be a highly volatile affair inside the cage. However, Strickland has often been criticized for being redundant, as evidenced by his lackluster performance in the rematch with Du Plessis a year ago.
Strickland stopped the aforementioned Hernandez in the third round in his most recent win, his first fight to end in less than 25 minutes since July 2023. Nicksick sees the potential to finish in the upcoming championship run. But ultimately, the coach remains realistic in his assessment of what will likely be a war of attrition.
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“The truth is, I think for both of their styles, yes, I do [think it will go to a decision]but you never know, man,” Nicksick said. “In this sport, in MMA, one wrong move either you might get knocked out or you might get submitted, or whatever. So, I think for us, it’s about realizing and having a game plan that puts our guys in the best position to win. This will take center stage. We can’t cage ourselves and get stuck in these positions because this guy is just a wet blanket, man. He will stay with you and he will keep coming back and wrestling again. Therefore, space will be our top priority. “
