In May, Sean Strickland pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the year by beating Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 328 to reclaim the middleweight belt. Following that heroic victory, Strickland’s next title defense now seems set, with the champion himself revealing his next opponent.
Some fans asked the two-time middleweight champion about his next fight on X. Responding to them, Strickland disclosed that he’ll face Nassourdine Imavov next once negotiations wrap up.
“We’re discussing pay now,” Strickland wrote on X. “Once that detail is squared, it’s locked in. The issue is no one cares about the fake Frenchman. We’re almost there.”
Going by Strickland’s revelation, his first title defense since winning the belt is confirmed against Nassourdine Imavov. However, the fight is currently in the negotiation stage. Once they settle the payment, the Strickland vs. Imavov rematch will become official for the middleweight belt.
We're discussing pay now. Once that detail is squared its locked in. The issue is no one cares about the fake Frenchman. We're almost there 👊 #JesuisCharlie
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Strickland vs. Imavov would be one of the most high-profile rematches the UFC can put together right now. ‘Tarzan’ defeated the French-Dagestani via unanimous decision in January 2023 in a light heavyweight Fight Night main event. ‘Tarzan’s victory was hailed as even more impressive because he stepped in for Kelvin Gastelum on short notice and still pulled off a commanding victory.
However, this time their bout will take place at 185 lbs, where Imavov has looked unstoppable so far.
At present, ‘The Sniper’ is on a five-fight winning streak, which includes a knockout victory over Israel Adesanya in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and a decision win against top contender Caio Borralho in Paris last year.
Even so, the Frenchman remained on the sidelines, largely because Strickland leapfrogged him to a title shot on the strength of his rivalry with Khamzat Chimaev.
Good news for Imavov fans that ‘The Sniper’s deserved title shot seems all but announced. However, before Strickland confirmed the fight, Chimaev had already leaked that the UFC was keen to make this clash.
The Chechen campaigned hard for a rematch against the reigning middleweight champion to reclaim the belt he lost four months ago. But in an interview with Adam Zubarayev this month, ‘Borz’ revealed that the UFC is planning to make Imavov vs. Strickland next.
He found the matchmaking a little “strange,” though he expressed goodwill toward the French-Dagestani.
“So far they haven’t called me, nothing like that yet,” Chimaev said about Strickland vs. Imavov. “I asked them, I want to fight in Abu Dhabi, they said I’m not asking for a title fight. I knew Strickland wasn’t coming to Abu Dhabi. I said I just don’t want to wait one or two years for him to recover.
“As soon as I said that, they gave Imavov the fight. I don’t know exactly how official it is but they’re giving him the fight. If they give it to him then they give it to him.”
Now, with Strickland’s opponent for the title defense confirmed, the inevitable question becomes: when will the fight take place? The UFC hasn’t announced anything, but we might have a date figured out.
Sean Strickland vs. Nassourdine Imavov could take place at UFC 335 in December
As of now, the UFC has mostly packed this year’s marquee events, with most of its champions already fought or booked for October and November. But the promotion hasn’t announced anything for its marquee event in December. In that case, Sean Strickland vs. Nassourdine Imavov’s middleweight title fight would fit like a glove.
Currently, the UFC’s October slate has a marquee event lined up, with Alexander Volkanovski defending his featherweight championship against the undefeated Movsar Evloev at UFC 333 on October 24th. Next, Ciryl Gane would defend his undisputed belt against Josh Hokit at Madison Square Garden on November 14th at UFC 334.
With those two spots gone, UFC 335 is already scheduled for December 12 at T-Mobile Arena. By that logic, Strickland would be the perfect fighter to headline the event in the state he fights out of.
January could have been an option, but Carlos Prates has already signaled that he’s eyeing Islam Makhachev to open 2027. So all signs point toward December for Strickland vs. Imavov’s stellar showdown. Now, it remains to be seen what the UFC announces.