Strickland “sends location” to Chimaev– No response

The buildup to UFC 328 has taken a sharper edge, as Sean Strickland fired back at comments from champion Khamzat Chimaev suggesting their rivalry could turn deadly outside the cage.

Chimaev recently downplayed the idea of inflicting maximum damage in the octagon, but drew headlines when he added that things would be different outside of it. The remarks quickly reached Strickland, who didn’t hesitate to respond.

Strickland said

 “I generally don’t post my location or my whereabouts, I don’t really drop pins where I’m at, I just don’t like to,”

 “But I was on Instagram and some stupid shit popped up in my feed about Chimaev saying you try to fight me, you’ll kill me in the streets.”

Location dropped, but no response

Strickland revealed that he was training in close proximity to Chimaev in California and even made his whereabouts public after hearing the comments.

“Dude, I was, like, 10 minutes from your gym. I was dropping tags and locations all day on my Instagram. Your homies that train with you follow me, they were seeing my story. You had to know where I was at.”

The former middleweight champion admitted part of him expected Chimaev to follow through, but nothing materialized.

“Ten minutes from your gym, bro, I was probably right down the street with you,” 

“Part of me thought you’d show up, but as we all know with Costa, when he pulled your card, ‘Hold me back, hold me back.’ I’m like the last dude in America you should threaten, but I guess if you don’t show up, you don’t show up.”

UFC 328 looms in Newark

The two are set to meet in the main event of UFC 328 on May 9 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, where the stakes will be settled inside the cage.

Given the intensity of the feud, UFC officials have reportedly taken steps to limit potential altercations during fight week. The tension between the two has been building for months, fueled by conflicting accounts of past sparring sessions and Chimaev’s departure from Xtreme Couture.

Chimaev enters the fight undefeated at 15-0 and fresh off a dominant win over Dricus du Plessis to claim the middleweight title. He has also been involved in multiple public confrontations, including a backstage clash with Ian Machado Garry and a long-running feud with Paulo Costa.

Strickland, known for his outspoken personality, has embraced the hostility, turning the pre-fight narrative into one of the most personal rivalries in recent UFC history.

What is your prediction for this fight?