Khamzat Chimaev rekindles rivalry with Sean Strickland using images from UFC 328 fight
The bitter rivalry between Khamzat Chimaev and Sean Strickland is far from over, as another edition of their grudge match looms on the horizon.
Khamzat Chimaev has seemingly reignited his rivalry against reigning UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland.
The duo previously trained together on several occasions, but tensions were said to be simmering between the two combatants even during their time as sparring partners.
Their differences ultimately escalated into a full-blown feud, which reached a crescendo back in May when they clashed in an MMA bout within the confines of the octagon.
Their fight, which headlined UFC 328, witnessed Strickland hand the Chechnya-born combatant his first MMA defeat. "Tarzan" bested Chimaev via split decision to become the new UFC middleweight champ and commence his second reign as the 185-pound division's ruler.
Khamzat Chimaev harks back to UFC 328 to rekindle his rivalry with Sean Strickland
Khamzat Chimaev boasts the distinction of being the only fighter to defeat former UFC middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis in the UFC MMA organization. Du Plessis lost twice before his UFC run, but he was unbeaten inside the octagon until running into "Borz."
Chimaev, a grappling savant, dominantly outwrestled "DDP" en route to a unanimous decision win to be crowned the UFC middleweight kingpin last August. Incidentally, du Plessis holds a couple of wins over Strickland -- having bested him by split decision in 2024 and unanimous decision in 2025.
Well, Chimaev's very next fight after beating du Plessis saw him lose the middleweight belt in a closely contested fight against Strickland at UFC 328.
Strickland has since worked on recovering from a shoulder injury and has been eyeing a return to the octagon in December. The UFC hasn't officially announced whom he'll defend the title against next, but Chimaev has relentlessly pursued an immediate title rematch against him.
The Sweden-trained U.A.E.-based fighter put forth an Instagram post a few hours back, consisting of a few photographs of his UFC 328 war with Strickland. Chimaev reiterated his belief that the American is evading another fight against him.
Capping off his statement by tagging the UFC's official Instagram handle, Chimaev wrote, "Someone is running, I'm ready, just tell me where and when I'll be there."
Check out Khamzat Chimaev's Instagram post concerning his possible rematch against Sean Strickland below:
Khamzat Chimaev's UFC 328 weight cut debacle; the UFC Oklahoma headlining fight between Dricus du Plessis and Kamaru Usman
Khamzat Chimaev's team has emphasized that his near-fatal weight cut going into UFC 328 was the primary reason behind his loss to Sean Strickland.
Chimaev and his supporters have, as such, been lobbying for his second encounter against Strickland to be booked right away.
Certain sections of the MMA community have argued that an immediate Strickland-Chimaev rematch would be justified. They've claimed that a bad weight cut marred the Chechen fighter's performance the first time around, and their rematch would surely end with his hand raised.
While Chimaev has vowed to reclaim the middleweight belt before his potential move up in weight to the light heavyweight (205-pound) division, some of his critics have cited his long history of struggling on the weighing scales and advised him to exit the 185-pound division.
Many fans and experts have instead highlighted that the winner of the Dricus du Plessis vs. Kamaru Usman middleweight showdown should be given the opportunity to face Strickland for the middleweight title. Du Plessis and Usman will headline UFC Oklahoma City this Saturday, July 18.
Usman, a former UFC welterweight (170-pound) champion, outpointed Strickland at welterweight back in 2017. Also, du Plessis has beaten "Tarzan" twice. Ergo, many view the du Plessis-Usman winner as more deserving of the next middleweight title shot rather than Khamzat Chimaev is.
