New Headline: "Strickland Praises Chimaev for His Game-Changing MMA Skills

While it might be difficult to believe now, Sean Strickland and Khamzat Chimaev allegedly got along well with each other in training. Strickland (30-7) is scheduled to challenge Chimaev (15-0) for the middleweight title at UFC 328 on May 9 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. There seems to be some bad blood between the two, originating from their training sessions in the past.

However, Strickland’s coach, Eric Nicksick, claims they got along really well when Chimaev visited the Xtreme Couture gym. According to Nicksick, the dynamic between Strickland and Chimaev was mostly competitive, with the two pushing each other to their limits. Nicksick has no idea when the relationship turned sour.

‘They Pushed Each Other’ “Honestly, I thought they got along really well,” Nicksick said on "The Ariel Helwani Show. ” “I thought they pushed each other really well. I felt like it was more of a competitive environment than anything.

Where it kind of took a turn, I honestly couldn’t tell you… For me, it was like – take this opportunity to learn as much as you can from Khamzat—some of his routes, some of the things he does really well on the ground—and just be a student when he’s in here and listen, learn, and observe the way he trains. ” Strickland has taken multiple digs at Chimaev, accusing the champion of stalling the division. Meanwhile, “Borz” claims Strickland’s animosity towards him is a result of getting choked out in sparring.