Last year, an old video went viral where Sean Strickland praised Khamzat Chimaev. In the clip, the American told The Borz, “You’re better than most of them, you’re better than everybody.” There was no animosity when the two trained together years ago at the renowned Xtreme Couture gym in Las Vegas. But Chimaev, at UFC 294, revealed, “I’ve taken him down, I’ve held him down, I’ve choked him [and] I’ve punched him. I’ve done all those things, so I don’t see something special about him.” Just like that, a new rivalry took root.

It didn’t take long for Sean to take revenge. First, it was about the cryptocurrency drama where he blamed the fighter for fooling his fans. Then, he reasoned Khamzat Chimaev’s alleged connections with Chechen warlord Ramzan Kadyrov were causing USA visa clearance difficulties. The heat only increased as Chimaev, who was next in line for the title bout, questioned Strickland as he lost the middleweight crown to Dricus du Plessis in UFC 297.

Fast forward to now, as Chimaev prepares for his dream title fight against du Plessis, Strickland has returned to add fuel to the fire. In his recent interview, he slammed, “I was training with him. There’s a video of me, I was like, ‘Oh, you’re so good, you’re better than everybody,’ like I’m being sarcastic. You can pick high-level UFC fighters, but you’re picking 1–1 because you think he’s the same height as your opponent. No dude, you’re picking him because you’re a b—, dude. Mentally, he’s just a weak man.” While Tarzan indirectly named his pick, Chimaev didn’t step away from challenging him.

During his recent interview shared by MMAWeekly.com, ‘Borz’ was asked about Strickland’s comments. He responded with a smile, “I don’t know. When I was there, they never said anything, you know. When I leave the Vegas and they stop my visa, he starts to talk. When I come back, I’m in LA, bro. Come on. If it’s something personal for you, just come. I’m here. Whenever he wants.”

While he maintained his composure, his words carried weight. The former champion knows what it’s like to stand across from the South African, and maybe he wanted to rattle Chimaev before he gets his shot. Chimaev, though, is in no mood to play defense. He sees fighting as a different kind of truth-telling.

He had already confessed, “I don’t like to be nice with guys who I was fighting with. So after the fight, shake hands, be respectful. In the war, you don’t need to respect. Just go and kill.” As for what comes after UFC 319? ‘Borz’ further shared, “I don’t care. What is the money I fight for that? We’ll see who they give the fastest way.”

That “war,” for now, is against Dricus du Plessis. The middleweight champion has beaten Sean Strickland twice and turned back other contenders with his unique, effective style. ‘Tarzan’ knows what it’s like to stand across from the South African, and amidst firing off salvos at the challenger, he has also come out with an interesting breakdown of what the fight could look like!

Khamzat Chimaev receives a harsh reality check about “bully” tactics by Sean Strickland

Sean Strickland isn’t one to mince words. And when asked about his thoughts for UFC 319, he’s not simply picking a side. He’s diving into the factors beyond technique and skills that may prove to be what makes the difference in the showdown between Dricus du Plessis and Khamzat Chimaev.

Speaking to Red Corner MMA, the American fighter explained, “Dricus has better standup than Chimaev, but Chimaev has pretty crazy grappling. I know how to get up from these guys. I can withstand the storm. I don’t know if he’s encountered that level of wrestling to where it might get him a little off guard.”

He even pointed to ‘Stillknocks’ fight against Brad Tavares as an example of the South African fighter being held down and controlled on the mat. But if he does manage to get back to his feet? That’s where Strickland sees the tide beginning to turn against Khamzat Chimaev.

However, that’s not the only thing that can derail ‘Borz’s undefeated streak. According to Strickland, “I just think he’s some kind of a bully. Nothing wrong with being a bully. It’s a fight – be a bully. But its like, if you’re going to be a bully and somebody fights back, you better keep that same energy up.”

According to him, the danger comes when what you thought of as prey, bites back! For now, ‘Borz’ has his sights on Dricus du Plessis, a champion who’s already weathered Strickland’s best twice while also taking the throne for himself. But the words exchanged in recent weeks have planted a seed.

If Khamzat Chimaev emerges from UFC 319 with his undefeated record intact and the belt around his waist, that challenge to Sean Strickland to meet in Los Angeles won’t just be hanging in the air; it could be the spark for another grudge match the fight world won’t want to miss!