Sean Strickland has placed the responsibility for any potential pre-fight confrontation with Khamzat Chimaev squarely on the UFC, warning the promotion that he will not comply with restrictions if he feels they are being applied unevenly between the two camps.
With UFC 328 on May 9 approaching, the animosity between Strickland and Chimaev has reached a point where Dana White has confirmed that extra security will be in place during media week. Strickland addressed the situation directly on X, making clear he has a specific threshold for what he will accept.
“The UFC is trying to limit my interactions with the dog. Listen I will say this now. I will not be controlled by a third world dog. If I find there is unequal treatment between our camps I will walk to the lobby and wait for him. Control your whore or don’t. I don’t care. Let the chips fall where they may, this is America.”
Chimaev’s coach has publicly dismissed Strickland’s gun warning as nonsense, stating he does not believe things will escalate to actual violence, and Chimaev himself has reportedly laughed off the threats. Strickland has previously stated he would draw a weapon if approached by Chimaev and his team in a group setting.
The situation has drawn comparisons to the post-fight brawl between Khabib Nurmagomedov’s and Conor McGregor’s teams at UFC 229 in 2018, an event the promotion is clearly attempting to prevent from repeating itself.
UFC 328 takes place May 9 at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.