Sean Strickland says he’ll end up in handcuffs during Khamzat Chimaev fight week
Sean Strickland has no plans to back down, even if the UFC would prefer to keep him and Khamzat Chimaev separated. Speaking during fight week in Newark, Joe Rogan cautioned that Strickland and Chimaev meeting face-to-face could get out of hand given the pre-fight build up.
Photo by Mike Roach/Zuffa LLC Sean Strickland has no plans to back down, even if the UFC would prefer to keep him and Khamzat Chimaev separated. Speaking during fight week in Newark, Joe Rogan cautioned that Strickland and Chimaev meeting face-to-face could get out of hand given the pre-fight build up. Dana White later confirmed that the planned Paramount face off was scrapped, with both fighters placed in separate hotels to limit any chance of an early encounter.
But keeping the two apart may not be as simple as that. Strickland doesn’t seem interested in playing along with those arrangements. UFC security protocols won’t stop Sean Strickland ahead of Khamzat Chimaev showdown Photo by Mike Roach/Zuffa LLC While some, like Jon Anik, are looking forward to the tension between Sean Strickland and Khamzat Chimaev before UFC 302, the buildup has already crossed a few lines.
Strickland’s comments recently took on a different tone when he warned Chimaev’s team about getting involved before their middleweight title fight. The American also weighed in on the UFC’s attempts to keep them apart, explaining why he doesn’t believe it will be effective. “The UFC is trying to limit my interactions with the dog,” Strickland wrote on X.
“Listen, I will say this now. I will not be controlled by a third-world dog… If I find there is unequal treatment between our camps I will walk to the lobby and wait for him. Control your w—- or don’t.