Sean Strickland called Khamzat Chimaev a “cheating f*ck” during Friday’s UFC 328 ceremonial weigh-ins, accusing the middleweight champion of missing weight even after UFC’s official results listed both title fighters at 185 pounds.
Chimaev and Strickland are set to fight for the UFC middleweight title on Saturday, May 9 at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. The final faceoff came one day after Chimaev kicked Strickland during their UFC 328 staredown, so the UFC kept them separated this time. Strickland still got the microphone, and that was enough to keep the bad blood moving.
“I’ll be f*cking quick, you guys,” Strickland said. “This f*cking coward tried to f*cking kick me in the nuts like a f*cking pussy! You’re a f*cking punk bitch! This f*cking bitch didn’t even make weight, you cheating f*ck! F*ck you, you son of a whore! Bitch!”
Chimaev did not turn it into a long answer. The unbeaten champion kept his reply short before their title fight.
“I love this bullshit boy,” Chimaev said. “Going to show you it tomorrow night.”
Watch the ceremonial weigh-in clip below:
Official Weights Say Chimaev Made 185
Strickland’s claim is still an accusation, not the official result. UFC’s official weigh-in page listed Khamzat Chimaev at 185 and Sean Strickland at 185, which makes the middleweight title fight official. The full UFC 328 weigh-in results had one actual miss, with Jeremy Stephens coming in at 160 pounds for his lightweight bout and forfeiting 30 percent of his purse.
Chimaev is 15-0 and defending the UFC middleweight title. His background is built around freestyle wrestling pressure, and he was a three-time Swedish national wrestling champion before becoming one of the UFC’s most dominant grapplers. Strickland is 30-7, a former UFC middleweight champion, and his career has been built on pressure boxing, volume, and a willingness to turn any fight week into a verbal fistfight.
The tension around Chimaev has been everywhere this week, from the physical faceoff to the champion receiving a Mercedes-Maybach before UFC 328. Strickland’s accusation just added one more ugly layer before the cage door closes.
UFC 328 airs Saturday, May 9, with early prelims at 5 p.m. ET on Paramount+ and UFC Fight Pass, prelims at 7 p.m. ET on Paramount+, and the main card at 9 p.m. ET on Paramount+.
