The storm surrounding UFC 319 is not just about the title fight between Dricus du Plessis and Khamzat Chimaev. It has spilled into a war of words, gym stories, and now, even retirement chatter. And at the center of it all? Sean Strickland, never one to hold back his tongue, delivered a scathing prediction about Chimaev’s future.

In a recent video shared on Instagram, Strickland didn’t mince words. He claimed the South African would “break” Chimaev in Round 5 and described training with Chechen fighters as like wrestling a “parasite.” For Strickland, the fight boils down to a simple question: “Who is a bigger f— man?”

His answer was blunt; he believes Chimaev will crumble when pushed. But it wasn’t just about fight predictions. Strickland went deeper, as he stated, “In my opinion, Chimaev is a weak man. I know, I know he’s made his entire career about being this big scary boogie man. But like, did you look at his history every time he’s had a tough fight with a welterweight, there’s always some f— excuse, you know, I broke my hand, it’s f— Ramadan. The reason why I look like this is because this like, no, dude, it’s because you got tested. And the test came back is like, you’re not really that big scary of a man. And you know, even like COVID, you’re like the guy retired during COVID.”

This retirement claim is significant. Fans will remember that in 2021, Chimaev shocked the MMA world by briefly announcing he was done with fighting after lingering health issues from COVID-19. At the time, Dana White publicly stated that he was just dealing with the medication and his recovery, which prompted the retirement talks.

Now Sean Strickland is reviving that moment, even alleging that it was a sparring session with him that broke Chimaev’s spirit. He stated, “You know, I was the one that retired him. He happened in our gym, trained with me, walked out of the gym, the whole gym’s seen it. And I think it just kind of, it goes to show you that he’s a weak man. And I’ll give you an example, like you could remove my lung, you could, whatever the f– it takes, I’m gonna stay in there and fight.”

True or not, the accusation cuts deep, especially as Chimaev prepares for the biggest fight of his career. The tension between the two is far from new. Both trained together at Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas, but their relationship soured. Chimaev, for his part, has played it cool, saying he doesn’t know why Sean Strickland has a problem with him.

Still, he offered to settle it face-to-face if needed in a recent interview where he stated, “When I was there, he never said anything. When I leave Vegas and they stopped my visa, he started to talk. When I come back, I’m in L.A., bro. Come on. If it’s something personal for you, just come. I’m here whenever you want.”

But Strickland isn’t alone in stirring the pot. Paulo Costa and Jorge Masvidal quickly chimed in with their own reactions, adding fuel to an already raging fire!

Khamzat Chimaev fires back as Sean Strickland, Paulo Costa, and Jorge Masvidal ignite feud ahead of UFC 319

Costa didn’t hesitate to back Strickland, dropping a simple “Agreed” with a thumbs-up emoji on the post. Given their own feud with accusations of DMs to Costa’s girlfriend, it’s no surprise ‘The Eraser’ jumped at the chance to pile on ‘Borz.’ For Costa, Strickland’s words seemingly echoed his own frustrations with the Chechen star.

Jorge Masvidal kept it short and sharp with a “Yup.” It was classic “Gamebred,” a few words, big impact. His agreement with Strickland highlights how Chimaev’s reputation among fighters remains polarizing. When hardened veterans nod in unison, fans tend to take notice.

But Chimaev didn’t trade insults. Instead, he posted a picture of Costa and Strickland at the gym with the heart emoji and a smile. It was a cheeky response, almost appearing to mock the tension around him.

As such, Sean Strickland’s prediction may have started as a fight breakdown, but it has since snowballed into a debate about Khamzat Chimaev’s heart, history, and even his future in the sport.

With Paulo Costa and Jorge Masvidal lending their weight to the criticism, the narrative heading into UFC 319 feels less like a standard title clash and more like a trial by fire for ‘Borz’s legacy. Will he silence his doubters and prove that the “retirement” talk was nothing more than noise, or will Strickland’s prophecy of him breaking under pressure ring true? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!