Khamzat Chimaev vs Sean Strickland Feels Like McGregor vs Khabib

The UFC 328 main event between middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev and challenger Sean Strickland is a clash of bitter rivals and former teammates. The two men are set to go to war on Saturday night inside the octagon, however, both have suggested that it might not make it to the octagon before they try and get their hands on each other. With threats to jump one another, threats by Strickland to use his gun on Chimaev or wait for him in the hotel lobby, the buildup is beginning to feel very familiar.

 

 

One of the most heated rivalries and bitter build-ups we've seen in modern UFC history was when Conor McGregor challenged Khabib Nurmagomedov for the lightweight title. The pre-fight antics got nasty, the post-fight brawl even worse. A rivalry that didn't end inside the octagon and is still brewing today.

 

Let's take a look at Chimaev vs Strickland and McGregor vs Khabib - The build-up.

The buildup between Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov went beyond sport and began to blur the lines of competition. Two polar opposite characters with a common goal in mind, leaving UFC 229 as the lightweight champion. It was seen as Russia vs Ireland, and what played out was just that.

 

 

Crowd trouble inside the T-Mobile Arena, a post-fight brawl between Nurmagomedov and members of McGregor's team and a rivalry left open. 

 

The build-up saw McGregor try to entice Nurmagomedov, a devout Muslim, to try his whisky. It saw the Irishman take aim at an interaction the two men had when McGregor attacked the bus that Nurmagomedov was on, where the Russian refused to 'rise' to McGregor and stayed on the bus. The nastiest jab was arguably the one that McGregor took at Khabib's manager, Ali Abdelaziz. He referred to him as a "Mad terrorist" and a "snitch". He then went on to ask the famed manager, "Where's Noah? How's Noah?" referring to a son he reportedly owed child support to.

 

Khabib would remark that the fight was "personal" for him, although he appeared (until the end of the fight at least) to be able to hold his cool around McGregor.

The chances of a brawl between Chimaev and Strickland ahead of fight night are high. The two men don't like each other and aren't afraid to tell one another. They have constantly gone back and forth, with Chimaev recently bringing up Strickland's father, something that has previously been used by Dricus du Plessis to get under the skin of the American.

 

Chimaev said, "You can cry that's okay... your father make you a girl". Chimaev responded to a claim that Strickland was going to "shoot him" by stating, "I don't think the guy wants a real war outside of the cage. If he wanted one, he'd be dead already..."

 

Prior to this, however, it has been Strickland who has amped up the animosity between the two men. He's claimed that the UFC is trying to limit his interactions with Chiamev, calling him a "third world dog", amongst other things. He's also referred to the champion as a "goat f***er" and claimed that he should be allowed in America.

 

It's gone down a bitter path, where the lines between competition are seriously blurred.

 

Interestingly, the two finishes that Strickland has in recent times, against Abus Magomedov and Anthony Hernandez, have come when he hasn't thrown out a lot of trash talk. When he has, against Dricus Du Plessis or Israel Adesanya, he has been unable to put his foot down and get his opponent out of there and in DDP's case, lost on both occasions. Perhaps a trend that Strickland needs to realise going forward... when he's less emotional, he's a lot more dangerous.