Khamzat Chimaev has done what many may not have. He forgave Sean Strickland for the things the latter had said in the build-up to their fight at UFC 328 this past weekend. In a video shared on his Instagram story, Chimaev explained why he chose to overlook their animosity and beef from before their fight.
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“After the fight, he bowed his head and apologized,” Chimaev said. “If a man asks for forgiveness, I can forgive him.”
He may have forgiven Strickland, but it didn’t look like it was even a possibility in the buildup. They had sparred together before at the Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas, Nevada, and there were contradicting accounts of how that had turned out. But it was clear neither was a fan of the other. In fact, things were so bad that UFC had to deploy additional security for safety.
Khamzat Chimaev explains why he decided to shake Sean Strickland’s hand: “After the fight, he bowed his head and apologized. If a man asks for forgiveness, I can forgive him.” 🫡
Chimaev and Sean Strickland were kept in separate hotels, and their Paramount face-off was cancelled. When they finally came face-to-face, an X-rated display of trash talk took over Prudential Center last Thursday. To make matters worse, Chimaev kicked Strickland on the shin. He later claimed he had to protect his family by making ‘Tarzan’ stop talking.
In any case, fight night finally came on Saturday night. And in a huge upset, Sean Strickland defeated Khamzat Chimaev via split decision after a bloody back-and-forth battle. In the aftermath, the pair appeared to leave behind their rivalry, which Strickland had said he wouldn’t do, to reveal the truth to the public.
Speaking to color commentator Joe Rogan, Strickland claimed he faked the animosity and rivalry with Chimaev to sell the fight. And asked for forgiveness from the people of the Muslim and Christian communities. While Chimaev may not have minded the fake animosity and beef between them, there’s one fighter who saw it as disgraceful.
Nate Diaz lashes out at Khamzat Chimaev and Sean Strickland for fake beef
Speaking during his MVP Face 2 Face segment with Mike Perry ahead of their upcoming fight on Netflix, Nate Diaz blasted the pair for the manufactured drama. Diaz accused both fighters of creating fake tension before later acting friendly once the bout was over.
“They were faking the funk, and they were f—ing acting like crazy and talking all this s—t to each other and hugging and f—ing showing them the whole fight like some b—ch,” Diaz said. “We’re not f—ing friends or anything like that, but I’m not gonna f—ing play around and make no fake artificial beef with you.”
Chimaev is not set to face Dillon Danis in a wrestling-only match under the RAF banner. The catchweight fight is set for June 13 at the Chaifetz Arena in St. Louis, Missouri. And fans are actively mocking Chimaev for accepting that fight.
From the looks of things, Khamzat Chimaev decided to be kind to someone who insulted him and his friends. But Nate Diaz is not ready to forgive him quite yet. What did you think of Chimaev’s reason for forgiving Sean Strickland?
