Sean Strickland has turned up the heat on Khamzat Chimaev ahead of UFC 328, publicly taunting the unbeaten contender after claiming Chimaev didn’t confront him in person despite knowing his whereabouts.
UFC is planning to have extensive security during UFC 328 fight week when Strickland and Chimaev are present, and tensions flared early after Strickland posted a social media video from Newport Beach, California, saying he spent the day tagging locations near Chimaev’s gym.
“I generally don’t post my location or my whereabouts, I don’t really drop pins where I’m at,” Strickland said. “I just don’t like to. But I was on Instagram and some stupid s--t popped up in my feed about Chimaev saying you’ll try to fight me or kill me in the streets.”
“I was dropping tags and locations all day on my Instagram. Your homies that train with you follow me. They were seeing my stories. You had to know where I was at. Ten minutes from your gym, brah, probably right down the street from you. I thought, part of me thought you’d show up. But we all know with [Paulo] Costa when he called your card, ‘Hold me back, hold me back!’”
Chimaev previously said, “Out in the streets, it’s different. If he dies, he dies. But in the cage, it’s a sport,” while also stating, “I don’t want to kill a man. Haram.”
Strickland filmed his latest message in front of a wall of automatic rifles and added, “I’m like the last dude in America you should threaten,” before closing with, “But I guess if you don’t show up, you don’t show up.”
