Sean Strickland’s path to a second UFC title may hinge more upon his mind games rather than his technique inside the Octagon. At UFC 328, he’s facing an undefeated champion in Khamzat Chimaev, a fighter who has built a 15-0 record on pressure, control, and finishing instincts. On paper, it’s a tough ask.

But ‘Tarzan’ has made a career out of flipping expectations. His upset over Israel Adesanya at UFC 293 is still one of the clearest examples of that. So the question becomes simple: how does he do it again? According to former UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling, the answer isn’t just physical, it’s mental.

“Here’s what I think. Strickland is gonna get in his head, force him to go crazy early on,” Sterling shared in a clip on social media. “His plan is to defend, get him tired, and then start to turn on the burners a little bit. I think that’s what he’s trying to do. Because on paper, for sure, Khamzat is the better fighter. Just overall package.”

In his last fight against Anthony ‘Fluffy’ Hernandez, a strong grappler in his own right, Strickland largely shut down takedown attempts and forced a stand-up fight. That matters here. Sterling noted how Hernandez eventually abandoned his wrestling and started trading, which played directly into Strickland’s strengths. And that’s where the psychological layer comes in.

“I almost feel like he did that to Fluffy, saying I’m more Mexican than he is, I stand and fight. This guy takes guys down and humps their leg or whatever. I’m like, Fluffy then fought him that way, which was kind of, you know, so I think there’s something to that. I think it’s gonna be a great fight.”

If the outspoken middleweight can bait ‘Borz’ into fighting emotionally, similar to how he’s done in past matchups, he changes the fight entirely. We’ve already seen hints of that tension. The back-and-forth between the two has been personal, not just competitive. Chimaev has fired shots about Sean Strickland’s past losses, while Strickland has leaned into his usual trash talk, questioning everything from his opponent’s style to his character and more.

Still, this isn’t a guaranteed formula. Chimaev showed against Dricus du Plessis that he can stay composed. He didn’t rush. He didn’t react to the crowd. He executed. Sterling even acknowledged that difference, pointing out how in that fight, Chimaev “took his time” and focused on winning rather than engaging emotionally. If that version shows up again, the window for Strickland gets much smaller.

But if it doesn’t? Then this becomes the kind of fight Sean Strickland thrives in. Yet, on the other side of the equation, Daniel Cormier recently revealed that the Chechen juggernaut has ramped up his training to a new level for this matchup!

Khamzat Chimaev “paying” training partners to try to submit him reveals Daniel Cormier

Daniel Cormier believes this might be the most dangerous version of Khamzat Chimaev we’ve seen. Not just because of his undefeated record or his dominance over former champions, but because of how he’s approaching this camp. According to Cormier, the stories coming out of Chimaev’s training are different this time.

“I have heard stories out of the Chimaev camp that Chimaev is training so hard and putting it on guys,” the former double champion shared on YouTube. “Elite-level guys, like nothing you’ve ever seen before, “I have heard Khamzat Chimaev wants people to go so hard with him to try to beat him and submit him, he’s paying them. He doesn’t care. I’ve got some guys at my gym that know people there that are like, ‘This dude, if somebody can submit him, there’s, like, money.’”

Strickland’s style is built on durability and pressure. He thrives when opponents fade or lose structure. But if Chimaev is already conditioning himself to survive bad spots, to deal with constant resistance from fresh, elite bodies, then that late-fight edge Strickland is counting on might not show up.

And maybe that’s the real tension here. One fighter is trying to create chaos. The other is training to survive it. So when they finally meet in Newark, the question won’t just be who lands first or who gets the takedown. It’ll be, who sticks to their identity when it matters most?