Luke Rockhold has unloaded on Sean Strickland while helping Khamzat Chimaev prepare for their UFC 328 headliner at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.
Rockhold, a former UFC middleweight champion, is in Chimaev’s camp ahead of the matchup and did not hold back when discussing Strickland, with whom he has previously trained. “Sean is truly a piece of sh*t,” Rockhold said on “The Ariel Helwani Show.”
“I didn't even know who Sean was when he first rolled into our training camp. He showed up on our doorstep, and he was just a loud idiot. He was trying to beat up kids who were helping him and trying to knock them out consistently after he already hurt them. He's not one of those guys I like to be around, and he's just not a good person,” Rockhold added.
Rockhold was previously booked to face Strickland at UFC 268 in 2021 before withdrawing due to a herniated disk, and he now finds himself preparing Chimaev for the same opponent. His view of Chimaev’s potential is emphatic: “He's the most dangerous guy at middleweight and light heavyweight,” Rockhold said. “I don't think anyone stops Khamzat at light heavyweight. Even heavyweight, his skills are suited. Yeah, Sean's the toughest test for Khamzat for sure. He's effective.”
UFC 328 will see Chimaev, listed as 15-0 in MMA and 9-0 in the UFC, meet Strickland, listed as 30-7 in MMA and 17-7 in the UFC, in a high-stakes main event clash.
