Khamzat Chimaev isn’t worried about Sean Strickland and the latter’s threat about gun violence. This, of course, comes after Strickland’s open workout, where he responded to claims made by ‘Borz.’ The Chechen fighter had claimed he and his team would jump ‘Tarzan’ and the latter would run away in fear.  So, Strickland, of course, in his typical style, took things a little far. 

Speaking to the media, the former middleweight champion claimed he would pull his gun out and shoot each member of Chimaev’s team on the spot if they jumped him. Sean Strickland also took shots at Chimaev’s connection to Ramzan Kadyrov. Now, the undefeated middleweight champion has responded and claimed that if ‘Tarzan’ delivered on his promise, he would be the fatality. 

“Clowns always talk,” Chimaev said at a JAXXON Studios open workout on Thursday. “He’s not going to be a clown if he’s quiet… Bro, he didn’t shoot any chickens in the world. How is he going to shoot a human? … I don’t think the guy wants a real war outside of the cage. If he wanted, he would be dead already.”

He also spoke about their past sparring sessions at Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas, and responded to claims made by the American middleweight. This training came together when Chimaev was in the welterweight division, and per the Chechen fighter, things didn’t go well for Sean Strickland. And wants to prove that when they meet inside the cage later this month.

“He never had success with me. It is not going to be different with me this time as well,” Chimaev added. “I was fighting 170 that time. Imagine I beat him at that weight when I was cutting the weight, and that time I beat him. Right now, think of how big I am, how hungry I am. It’s good meat. I like white American chicken.”

Later in the interview, a reporter questioned Chimaev, asking whether he thinks Sean Strickland is really capable of shooting him. So, the Chechen pointed out that New Jersey, where their upcoming fight is set to unfold, is his home. 

“In New Jersey, there’s a Muslim community,” Chimaev said. “It’s my home. I don’t think he’s going to come out with the guns there. Otherwise, there will be a lot of people in jail because he’s dead.”

The pair, of course, fights on Saturday, May 9, at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, headlining UFC 328. In any case, Strickland didn’t stay silent, hearing what Chimaev had to say about his threat. The clip of Chimaev’s response was shared on X, where Strickland found it and left a comment to hit back at the middleweight champion. 

“This is why you are a coward,” Strickland wrote. “We will jump you, my muslim friends will jump you. You might live in America, but you have no idea what it’s like to be an American or a man. If I ever said I’ll jump you, I wouldn’t be able to look myself in the mirror. Coward.”

As this rivalry escalates into never-before-seen trash talk and promises of violence outside of the cage, Chimaev’s coach has also gotten involved. 

Coach reveals first reaction from Khamzat Chimaev after Sean Strickland made threats

Since the threat, coach Alan Nascimento downplayed the controversy. Interestingly, Nascimento claimed the team already knew who they were dealing with and expected such things to happen. 

“When you’re prepared for something, and you know it’s coming, it doesn’t surprise you anymore,” Nascimento told MMA Fighting.

Nascimento revealed that Chimaev hadn’t even seen the video of Strickland making threats. That changed only after they showed it to Chimaev, and the latter reacted calmly. 

“He watched it, laughed, and we went straight to training,” he added. “Khamzat Chimaev is handling everything really well.”

“This whole thing of ‘I’m going to shoot him’ and all that, I think that’s just nonsense.” 

It’s also worth noting that while Chimaev’s coach isn’t taking the threats seriously, UFC CEO Dana White already canceled the Paramount face-off between Chimaev and Strickland, fearing the worst. He has also spoken about increasing security to avoid an incident. 

It appears that Sean Strickland has failed to put fear in Khamzat Chimaev. If anything, the middleweight champion appears even more determined to beat Strickland come fight night.