For years, Sean Strickland kept throwing insults at Khamzat Chimaev, making their rivalry deeply personal. Ahead of UFC 328, their beef became even more heated, with both men sending literal death threats toward each other, which concerned many people, but also added to the hype surrounding the fight. However, fans ended up seeing a very different side of Strickland and Chimaev, as the two shared nothing but respect, raising doubts about whether their beef was actually real.

Addressing that, Sean Strickland revealed there was never any real personal beef between them, admitting that the animosity mainly stemmed from Chimaev not understanding his humor.

“No, no. I think, dude, Chimaev, especially being Chechen, they have a lot of pride,” Strickland said during the UFC 328 post-show. “So, you know me. Obviously, you guys know me. I say things that some people might find offensive, but I’m just joking. I think that sometimes he probably didn’t get my humor, you know, from that part of the world.

“So, he’s a good guy, man, you know, but we’re in the game of fighting. Would you guys really want me to go out there and be like, ‘Yeah dude, Chimaev, you’re a really nice guy, let’s go have a nice little fight’? No, you want me to go motherf— this guy. Yeah, I do it for you guys. The guy’s a good dude.”

Well, ‘Tarzan’ didn’t directly admit that the beef between them was fabricated. But he seemed to suggest it was nothing like the Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov situation, where the animosity was fundamentally rooted in hatred for each other.

“I sell fights. Look how boring the UFC is. Do you even know half the roster?

He’s a good dude. I made him the most money he’s ever made on a fight. You’re welcome, Chimaev,” Strickland added.

So, there was always some room for mutual respect, which eventually happened after UFC 328 ended in a massive upset.

Also, the UAE-based fighter seemingly got a glimpse of Strickland’s real character from a previous interaction, which convinced him that ‘Tarzan’s’ words were mainly meant to sell fights. In an interview with Adam Zubayraev before UFC 328, Chimaev revealed that his friends once confronted Strickland about the trash talk, where the 35-year-old apparently admitted he was only doing it to secure the fight.

Recently, Islam Makhachev also opened up about Strickland being a “normal guy” behind the camera. Still, nobody expected Strickland to hug Khamzat Chimaev after the fight, not even the UFC CEO.  

Dana White reacts to Sean Strickland and Khamzat Chimaev being friends after UFC 328 fight  

After UFC 328 ended, fans were left stunned, seeing two sworn enemies suddenly showing respect toward each other. But nobody seemed more flabbergasted than Dana White. Following that unexpected moment, reporters asked the UFC CEO about Strickland and Chimaev’s newfound admiration for each other, and he summed it up in short but crisp words.

“I was ready for the exact opposite,” Dana White stated at UFC 328 post-fight interview.

White was present during the heated press conference where Chimaev landed a front kick to Strickland’s groin before security had to separate the two. So, he definitely did not expect the UAE-based star to take the belt out of his hands and wrap it around Strickland’s waist after losing the fight, just like the rest of the fans.

That said, as Strickland now appears to be embracing a different side of his persona, it will be interesting to see whether fans continue taking his trash talk as seriously in future rivalries.