Watch: Khamzat Chimaev Shares Sparring Clip With Sean Strickland as UFC 328 Tensions Escalate
Khamzat Chimaev released video footage on May 5th from a sparring session with Sean Strickland, captioning the post “I am bullying weak people. The clip stems from their 2022 training days at Xtreme Couture, where the two once worked together regularly. With UFC 328 scheduled for Saturday night at the Prudential Center in Newark, the footage marks another escalation in what’s become one of the sport’s most contentious rivalries.
Video: Khamzat Chimaev vs. Sean Strickland Sparring Footage Days Before UFC 328
The sparring session itself has been a point of contention between the two fighters for years. Chimaev and Strickland have painted competing narratives about what happened on the mats, each claiming they dominated the exchange. Strickland has previously suggested that Chimaev gravitates toward less experienced or younger training partners to build his confidence in controlled settings. By releasing the footage now, Chimaev appears to be addressing those accusations directly, using Strickland’s own words against him through the caption’s sarcasm.
The tensions surrounding this matchup have spilled well beyond typical fight week banter. Strickland went so far as to post on social media that he plans to carry a gun to fighter hotel appearances, claiming he would confront Chimaev if he detects unequal treatment between their camps. In response, UFC CEO Dana White implemented heightened security measures. Chimaev later dismissed Strickland’s threats at a pre-fight press scrum, calling him “a clown” and questioning his credibility.
The backstory adds layers to their conflict. The two trained under the same roof and came up through similar circles, creating a familiarity that has bred contempt rather than camaraderie. Neither fighter has backing from witnesses willing to publicly confirm their version of the sparring story, leaving much of their competing claims as he-said, he-said accounts. That ambiguity hasn’t stopped either from weaponizing the memory in their pre-fight psychology.
The footage release shows Chimaev’s attempt to control the narrative heading into Saturday, though fan reactions suggest the move may have backfired in some quarters. Either way, both men enter UFC 328 with legitimate grievances and a shared history that has morphed into genuine animosity.
