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Sean Strickland went off on Khamzat Chimaev.
When Chimaev first introduced himself inside the Octagon, fight fans immediately became enamored with the undefeated Chechen monster. Unfortunately, the love affair quickly turned contentious for a number of reasons, chief among them being his close-knit relationship with Chechen warlord Ramzan Kadyrov.
Chimaev was regularly spotted canoodling with Kadyrov, who has been accused of multiple human rights violations against women and members of the LGBTQ community. In fact, it was Chimaev’s relationship with Kadyrov that prevented ‘Borz’ from competing in the United States for nearly three years.
Over the years, Chimaev has called different countries home, including Sweden and, most recently, Dubai.
“You f*cking coward,” Strickland told MMA Junkie. “You flee your country, you run to Sweden, you go back, you have to go suck off a dictator, and then you f*cking have to go hide from your dictator in Dubai. Like, like, we just don’t need that as a champion, bro. Like, that’s real bad. Like, every time I see his face, I’m just like, we got a p*ssy as a champion. It’s real bad.
Khamzat Chimaev now calls the UAE Home
Chimaev’s move was largely motivated by issues with his Russian passport, which made international travel difficult due to the ongoing global situation and sanctions against Russia. The move to Dubai also affords Chimaev better opportunities to train, with the UAE becoming a significant hub for mixed martial arts and sports in general.
Clearly, that decision has paid dividends for Chimaev, considering his dominant title-winning performance against Dricus Du Plessis in August.
‘Borz’ handed ‘DDP’ his first loss inside the Octagon, capturing the UFC middleweight championship in the process. What’s next for Chimaev remains to be seen, but all signs point to a clash with the division’s second-ranked contender, Nassourdine Imavov, sometime in 2026.
