Sean Strickland‘s UFC pay drama just got a whole lot more interesting, thanks to Khamzat Chimaev . While ‘Tarzan’ is expected to face Nassourdine Imavov next, ‘Borz’ has swooped in with a wild $1 million offer, telling the 35-year-old to forget the UFC matchup and fight him instead.
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“Strickland, I will pay you one 🍋 Send me location and let’s fight. Don’t care outside inside the cage,” Chimaev wrote on X.
The whole $1 million offer comes after Sean Strickland revealed that his next fight is stuck in limbo because he and the UFC can’t agree on his paycheck. The middleweight champion is reportedly demanding $1 million to fight Nassourdine Imavov at UFC 336 on January 16.
But ‘The Sniper’ wasn’t about to sit back and watch the money drama play out. He decided to throw his own cash into the mix, offering Sean Strickland $500,000 straight from his personal pocket if the American were to beat him in January.
Striciland I will pay you 1 🍋 Send me location and let’s fight don’t care outside inside the cage 🦾
Khamzat Chimaev isn’t done chasing Strickland. His latest $1 million offer has brought his rematch campaign roaring back to life, with ‘Borz’ once again making it clear that he wants another crack at the man who took his middleweight title earlier this year.
The 32-year-old has been calling for a rematch ever since losing the belt, but previously acknowledged Imavov’s earned shot after a long wait.
“There’s no surprise. How long has Imavov been waiting now? He’s already the contender. Whoever wins, we’ll take him,” Chimaev said.
‘Borz’ has made no secret of his bigger plan either: Run through the entire middleweight division and take back the throne. And he’s never been shy about putting his money where his mouth is.
Back in April, the 32-year-old offered $200,000 to any Olympic gold medalist who could “survive” a sparring session with him in MMA, even calling out Olympic wrestling champion Kyle Snyder.
This time, though, Chimaev is putting $1 million on the line to get Strickland back in the cage with him. The problem is that ‘Tarzan’ most likely has another fight waiting for him, as Nassourdine Imavov remains the likely next challenger if the UFC and the champ can finally sort out their money issues.
Khamzat Chimaev isn’t sitting around waiting for the UFC
Khamzat Chimaev is getting tired of waiting on the UFC, especially with his Strickland rematch still hanging in limbo.
He even made it clear he’d be willing to take on a different contender if that’s what it takes to get back in there. Since that UFC fight never came together, the 32-year-old has used the downtime to let his lingering injuries heal. But he hasn’t exactly been sitting around doing nothing.
While the UFC has kept him waiting, the former champion has stayed active by competing in wrestling outside the promotion.
The 32-year-old isn’t exactly wasting his time. Khamzat Chimaev is set to face Colby Covington at RAF Abu Dhabi on November 14, with the RAF Crossover title on the line, the same day UFC 334 goes down.
And this won’t be his first trip to the RAF mats. ‘Borz’ has already wrestled three times since his last UFC appearance, winning all three bouts.
The 32-year-old will have another big name waiting for him before Covington, too. But before that, Chimaev is scheduled to wrestle UFC legend Robbie Lawler at RAF 14, an event headlined by Arman Tsarukyan vs. Dillon Danis.
Meanwhile, Nassourdine Imavov has been doing everything he can to make his case impossible to ignore. He and Strickland have already shared the Octagon once, with the American cruising to a clear unanimous decision win in 2023.
But ‘The Sniper’ hasn’t looked back since. The French-Dagestani contender has rattled off five straight wins, including victories over Israel Adesanya and Caio Borralho, putting himself firmly at the front of the line for another shot at Strickland.
The only thing standing in the way now? Strickland and the UFC still need to sort out the money dispute.