Sean Strickland has gained a new wave of confidence after destroying Anthony Hernandez in his last outing. So much so, he did not hesitate to call out the middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev. Since then, a lot of old clips of Strickland have surfaced, where ‘Tarzan’ heaps praise on Chimaev. ‘Borz’ did not waste any time and responded on social media, referencing Strickland’s previous losses, “I destroyed the guy who beat you twice. American b**h”.

This comment was made after Strickland reiterated in his post-fight interview, saying, “I don’t know, man,” Strickland said. “If Chimaev finally gets off the bench, I’d like a piece of that little Chechen s**t, but you never know with him, bro.”

Sean Strickland’s old Khamzat Chimaev clips spark debate

Amid the verbal back-and-forth, several older videos featuring Strickland have resurfaced online. In one clip, filmed during a gym visit captured by Schmo, Strickland is seen speaking highly of Khamzat Chimaev during a training session.

“You are better than everybody, you are the best guy here, don’t hurt anybody,” Strickland said while addressing Chimaev.

Even though Strickland can come off as offensive, he is often known to show respect to people and, hence, he has a wide fan base. What stands in contrast is Strickland’s post-fight scrum: “I made him quit training.”

According to Strickland, even when they didn’t train together, it was evident to him that Chimaev wasn’t interested in working with the best; rather, he believes Chimaev came to the gym looking to push less qualified fighters around.

Another past interview with Schmo adds further complexity to the narrative. Strickland accepts that he has been tapped by Chimaev around 7-8 times, but again, his words don’t match what he said after his win.

“Every time Chimaev would walk into the gym, he would pick the smallest, lowest-level pro and say, ‘But oh, he looks like my opponent.’ … He would pick the smallest guy. Chimaev’s a f*cking bully.”

The footage does not appear fabricated, yet the contrast between Strickland’s past praise and present criticism has only deepened intrigue around a potential clash.

Sean Strickland blasts Chimaev’s potential 205 move, warns of “Clown Show”

Sean Strickland’s flair for unfiltered commentary once again grabbed attention. Fresh off UFC Houston, the former middleweight champion did not mince words while reacting to speculation about a potential Jiri Prochazka vs. Khamzat Chimaev matchup. “If the UFC grants that request, it’ll be a f–king clown show, and I hope they don’t,” Strickland remarked.

It appears Strickland made his comments, possibly unaware of what UFC boss Dana White had said about Chimaev, hinting at a 205-pound move. White wants the middleweight champion, who became a first-time UFC titleholder this past August when he defeated Du Plessis on the scorecards, to defend his belt first. Moving up a weight class without defending it even once sounded bizarre to White.

In that regard, Strickland’s views seem more personal than indicative of any systemic issue. He views Chimaev as a bully, as he also thinks the current middleweight champion wants to move up the division because he will get an easier fight, as the 205-pound division seems ‘soft’ right now.