Sean Strickland sent a message to rival Khamzat Chimaev ahead of their upcoming UFC 328 middleweight title fight.
Strickland is set to take on Chimaev in the main event of UFC 328, which takes place on May 9 at Prudential Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Strickland and Chimaev are former training partners, but there is no love lost between the two these days, as they are now bitter rivals.
Ahead of their upcoming bout, Strickland sent a warning to Chimaev about what he will do to him when they meet inside the Octagon.
“I’m gonna beat the sh*t out of him with my hands for 25 minutes.” 😳 #UFC328
“I’m going to fight like a man. Hands up, let’s get it,” Strickland said. “I’m going to beat the (expletive) out of him with my hands for 25 minutes.
“I’ve had a great camp. I’m going into this fight strong and healthy. My body’s fully healed up. It’s nice going into a title fight not being injured. I’m stoked, I can’t wait.”
Sean Strickland is Looking to Become a Two-Time UFC Middleweight Champion
Strickland previously defeated Israel Adesanya at UFC 293 in September 2023 to capture the UFC middleweight title in what was, at the time, a monumental upset. However, Strickland was unable to defend his belt, as he lost a split decision to Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 297 in January 2024 in an unsuccessful first title defense. After beating Paulo Costa by split decision at UFC 302 in June 2024, Stirckland earned another title shot. He then fought Du Plessis in a rematch at UFC 312 in February 2025, but he lost a unanimous decision.
But after an outstanding knockout over Anthony Hernandez at UFC Houston in February 2026, Strickland jumped Nassourdine Imavov at middleweight to earn another title shot. He now fights Chimaev in the main event of UFC 328 next month, with the opportunity to reclaim the belt he once had around his waist.
Khazmat Chimaev is Looking for His First Title Defense
Chimaev defeated the aforementioned Du Plessis at UFC 319 in August 2025 in what was one of the most dominant five-round title fights of all time. In that bout, Chimaev had 21:40 of control time and landed 529 total strikes, a UFC record. Though he was unable to finish his opponent, there was never any doubt he would get his hand raised by unanimous decision when the scorecards were read.
Since his title-winning performance, Chimaev has not defended his title up to this point, so the Strickland fight will be his first official title defense. The betting odds have Chimaev list as a significant -500 favorite, with the general thinking that he will be able to take Strickland down to the mat and control him.
However, Strickland has excellent takedown defense, and if he can keep this fight standing, he should have a significant edge in the striking department. That’s a big if, but Strickland is confident that if he can keep this fight on the feet, he can do serious damage to Chimaev. If that’s the case, then Strickland will become a UFC middleweight champion for the second time in his career, and once again win the belt as a huge underdog in a fight that very few fans were giving a chance to win.
Sean Strickland Sends Message to Khamzat Chimaev Ahead of UFC 328 Title Fight