The rivalry between Khamzat Chimaev and Sean Strickland is escalating as their UFC 328 main event approaches. Chimaev, the reigning UFC middleweight champion after his win over Dricus du Plessis at UFC 319, will face Strickland, who secured his title shot with a knockout of Anthony Hernandez at UFC Houston. As fight week for UFC 328 on May 9 in Newark, New Jersey, draws nearer, the online exchanges between the two fighters have taken a decidedly personal turn.
UFC 328 Trash Talk Turns Personal on Social Media
A former training partnership has soured significantly, leading to heated exchanges. Strickland has previously labeled Chimaev a “terrorist” due to his associations with Ramzan Kadyrov, the leader of the Chechen Republic, who faces international war crimes charges. Strickland even went as far as to state in a media scrum that he would resort to violence if confronted by Chimaev and his entourage outside the octagon, mentioning the possibility of using a firearm and invoking his Muslim friends. He speculated that Chimaev might end up in handcuffs during fight week.
Chimaev responded on X (formerly Twitter), posting a photograph of a young Strickland with long hair alongside another man. Chimaev captioned the image, “You can cry that’s okay for, your father make you a girl.” He followed up with the same picture, stating, “This picture shows everything who is the man who is the girl.” These comments quickly gained traction, being shared widely across MMA fan communities.
Strickland has also targeted Chimaev’s background, making derogatory remarks about Muslims, including mocking fighters like Nassourdine Imavov for their religious practices with offensive jokes. Following the threats, the UFC has intervened to limit interaction between the fighters’ camps. Chimaev, however, appeared unfazed during media workouts, dismissing the threats as uninteresting and even embracing the controversy as a way to build excitement for the fight.
This verbal sparring has become intensely personal, with Chimaev focusing on Strickland’s publicly disclosed difficult childhood. Strickland, in turn, has resorted to political commentary and stereotypes. Anticipate the pre-fight faceoffs to remain confrontational, even without physical altercations before the official bout. The heightened animosity is expected to drive significant pay-per-view numbers.