Jorge Masvidal wasn’t entirely convinced that Khamzat Chimaev would get past Sean Strickland in their scheduled clash at UFC 328 on Saturday, May 9. It wasn’t anything personal—just the kind of assessment you’d expect from a seasoned veteran of the sport. But things have since taken a sharper turn. ‘Gamebred’ has now begun questioning the Chechen fighter’s legacy as both a competitor and a champion, all sparked by a remark ‘Borz’ made.

“All three of you, same night,” Khamzat Chimaev commented on a ‘Death Row MMA’ podcast’s video on Instagram, where Masvidal discussed the Strickland vs. Chimaev fight. 

Chimaev insinuated that he could beat Masvidal, his co-host, and Sean Strickland in the same night. This comment quickly found its way onto Masvidal’s latest YouTube video on his channel when his team informed him about Chimaev’s comment. The 41-year-old wasn’t about to take that disrespect sitting down, and quickly held up a mirror to the UFC middleweight champion. 

“The funny thing about that is that you ain’t gonna kill nobody by hugging anybody to death,” Masvidal said in his YouTube video. “You better stop with that crotch-sniffing s**t, especially if you’re talking to me, brother. Your legacy is always going to be known for sniffing other dudes’ crotches. Every time you had a chance to prove somebody wrong, all you [did was] sniff crotches. 

“And instead of worrying about what I’m talking and posting about,” he added in the video. “You should be worrying about your fight, because your gas tank is trash, and Sean’s about to test your gas tank. So, maybe, keep your eyes on the prize and don’t worry so much about me, sucker.”

Sean Strickland is coming off a dominant win over Anthony ‘Fluffy’ Hernandez on February 21. Despite entering the fight as an underdog, ‘Tarzan’ surprised fans by picking apart Hernandez to win the fight via third-round knockout. Strickland is currently ranked No. 3 in the middleweight division, but his title shot might not have been entirely deserved.

The promotion leapfrogged No. 2-ranked middleweight Nassourdine Imavov in a bid to hand Strickland a title shot. Khamzat Chimaev, on the other hand, last appeared in the cage in August last year. The 31-year-old smothered Dricus Du Plessis with his ground game in what was dubbed one of the more boring fights to win the UFC middleweight title. 

Regardless, the question is, what did Jorge Masvidal say that compelled Khamzat Chimaev to leave that comment? 

Jorge Masvidal was ready to bet his house on Sean Strickland beating Khamzat Chimaev

Speaking on his ‘Death Row MMA’ podcast, Masvidal dismissed the hype around Khamzat Chimaev despite his recent success. 

“Chimaev to me, although he looked great in that ‘DDP’ fight, I don’t think he’s all that good,” Masvidal said. 

Masvidal pointed towards Chimaev’s fight against Kamaru Usman, where the 31-year-old struggled to secure a win even though Usman had taken the fight on 10 days’ notice. 

“I thought Chimaev lost that fight… Didn’t get more takedowns, got stuffed up, and got punched in the face more. So I definitely thought Usman won. That’s a 170-pounder that’s coming off the couch. 

When it comes to Strickland, Masvidal’s stance is even stronger. He praised Strickland’s underrated wrestling and durability.

“I’m dumping the house on Strickland,” he said confidently. “…If you try to wrestle with him, you quickly realize this guy can wrestle back… Chimaev doesn’t have the best gas tank.”

It appears Khamzat Chimaev can’t even tolerate any predictions against him. But Jorge Masvidal is not one to be disrespected, which resulted in his latest rant. But do you think Strickland can live up to the prediction during fight night?