Khamzat Chimaev Calls Sean Strickland a “Girl” in Latest Controversial UFC 328 Jab
Khamzat Chimaev holds the UFC middleweight title after beating Dricus du Plessis by unanimous decision at UFC 319. Sean Strickland earned his shot with a third-round knockout of Anthony Hernandez at UFC Houston in February. Their main event tops UFC 328 on May 9 at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Fight week starts soon, and the two have traded shots online that hit below the belt.
UFC 328 Trash Talk Heats Up: Chimaev and Strickland Go Personal on Social Media
Chimaev and Strickland used to train together. Things turned sour over time. Strickland has called Chimaev a terrorist because of his ties to Ramzan Kadyrov, the Chechen Republic leader wanted on war crimes charges. He went off in a media scrum, saying he would pull a gun if Chimaev and his crew approached him outside the cage. “I’mma pull my gun out. I’m going to shoot him,” Strickland said. He added that his Muslim friends would jump Chimaev if it came to that, and he might end up in handcuffs during fight week.
Chimaev fired back on X. He posted an old photo of a young Strickland with long hair next to a man, writing, “You can cry that’s okay for, your father make you a girl.” Then he shared the same picture with the caption, “This picture shows everything who is the man who is the girl.” Fans picked up on it quick, sharing the posts across MMA accounts.
Strickland hit on Chimaev’s background too. He mocked Muslims in general, calling out fighters like Nassourdine Imavov for praying on rugs and tying it to goats in crude jokes. UFC stepped in to limit contact between the camps after the threats. Chimaev shrugged it off in media workouts, saying threats are boring and he loves the talk because it builds the fight.
This back-and-forth goes personal fast. Chimaev targets Strickland’s tough childhood he has talked about publicly. Strickland leans into politics and stereotypes. Expect faceoffs to stay heated without hands thrown before the bell. Pay-per-view numbers should climb from the noise.
