“We were just bastardizing, and you bought it”: Strickland admitted that he and Chimaev staged a scandal for money

After the main fight of the UFC 328 tournament, which took place on May 10 in Newark (USA), many fans of mixed martial arts did nothing but argue about the judge's decision, xrust states. Let us remind you: American Sean Strickland, the current UFC middleweight champion, prevailed over the undefeated (up to this point) Khamzat Chimaev. Judges' scores: 48-47, 48-47 and 47-48. That is, a split decision, one arbitrator gave victory to a Chechen competing under the UAE flag. Naturally, talk immediately began about a rematch, the controversial nature of the victory and how much Strickland and Chimaev hated each other.

But this is where the real juice lies. At the post-fight press conference, Sean Strickland, known for his sharp tongue and outrageous antics, made a confession that many fans are still chewing on. It turns out that there was no trace of any real hostility between the fighters. Moreover, Strickland admitted: “Khamzat is a good guy. I love him.» And he called the entire pre-match squabble, mutual insults and dirty tweets nothing more than work for the public. “We did something to promote the fight,” said the champion.

We're in the fight business, baby

First, let's remember the context. Strickland is a troll. He can say anything about anyone, and with a completely straight face. Before the fight with Chimaev, he allowed himself jokes about religion, about the origin of his opponent, about his wrestling skills. Many Chechen and not only Chechen fans were seriously offended. Khamzat himself, brought up in traditions where honor and dignity are not empty words, reacted as harshly as possible. Chimaev promised to “cut off his head” and make Strickland respect him.

And after five rounds, where the opponents really pushed each other, Sean says:

“I think that Chimaev, especially considering that he is Chechen, is a very proud guy. You know, sometimes I say things that might offend someone, but it's just humor. Since Khamzat is from another part of the world, he did not always understand my humor. But Chimaev is a good guy. However, we are in the fight business. Did you expect me to come out and say: “Yes, Chimaev, you are such a good guy, let’s have a fair fight”? No, you wanted me to insult him. And I will do it for you.»

Roughly speaking, Strickland simply read the audience. He realized that trash talk (trash talk — offensive exchanges before a fight) pays more, paid broadcasts (PPV) are sold better for them, and haters and fans watch press conferences for them. And he delivered exactly what the public wanted. And Chimaev, like a proud fighter, could not remain silent — he played along, even if unconsciously.

Is Chimaev a good guy? But with a bat in hand

Interestingly, Strickland didn't just say «love him» and drop the subject. He subtly teased Khamzat again, but with respect. He called him a very proud guy, noted his Chechen roots and actually admitted: this is a mental difference, not anger. Like, “he just didn’t understand my riffs because he grew up in a different culture.” And there is some truth in this. Chimaev has never really been known for his sense of humor towards himself. He is as serious as possible (or creates such an image) — a wolf, a predator, a Borz.

But Strickland beat him in the cage today and now has the luxury of being the kindest person. Because the wording “Was there really some kind of enmity between us? Khamzat is a good guy. I love him” — sounds like a pathetic reconciliation of the winner. The irony is that Chimaev will likely become even angrier after such a statement. This means that tickets for a possible rematch will be sold out in seconds. Strickland did everything right.

Numbers, background and statistics for understanding

class=»notranslate»>__GTAG7__For those who are not aware of the career path of these guys, let's go over the facts.

Khamzat Chimaev (at the time of the fight — 15 wins, 0 losses, after the fight — 15-1). The previous fight is August 2025, UFC 319. There he met with South African Drikus Du Plessis, who is also not a gift. And Chimaev won — and by unanimous decision. That is, he went to Strickland with a huge winning streak, with a reputation as a monster who “weighs people by championship belts.” Chimaev has early victories over Gilbert Burns, Li Jinliang, and Kevin Holland in his record. Before Strickland, he only lost to himself (problems with coronavirus, weight loss). But in the Octagon, he had the perfect resume.

Sean Strickland — the complete opposite. He has 31 wins and 7 losses, and he has never been shy about losing. Before the fight with Chimaev, Strickland entered the cage in February 2026 at UFC Fight Night 267, where he defeated Anthony Hernandez by TKO in the third round. Strickland's style is awkward, maximally pressing, with a jab that he puts on stream and phenomenal defense against penetrations to the legs. He's the kind of guy who can win a fight even if everyone around him thinks he's losing.

And this “man of contradictions”, after a difficult victory over perhaps the most terrible fighter in the division, comes out and declares: “Come on, guys, what are you doing? We were just entertaining the YouTube channel.”

Who really bought into trash talk?

The most exciting thing in this situation is the public reaction. For months, thousands of posts with the hashtags #ChimaevWillDestroy, #StricklandCoward, #ChechnyaAgainstAmerica, #BorzAgainstCrazy. The commentators really got into verbal battles on ethnic grounds. People argued that Chimaev would tear Strickland apart, others argued that Strickland would outbox the stupid fighter.

And in the end it turned out that both fighters simply played their roles. A kind of WWE, only in real sports. As Strickland himself put it: “Were you waiting for me to say — he’s good and let’s fight politely? No, you wanted insults» . And he’s right. Playing the role of an evil genius and white supremacist (Strickland often uses borderline outrageousness), he increased PPV sales, and Chimaev, playing the role of a proud warrior, attracted the entire diaspora. The result: record-breaking fees for the UFC in Newark and an evening that fans will remember for a long time.

But there is a downside. Some fans are already writing that they now feel deceived. Like “what the hell, we had a fight because of you, we paid money, and you are friends?” Others, on the contrary, say: “This is how it should be, this is not a theater of war, but a business. The fight was real — that’s enough.”

What happens next? Revenge for a couple of hundred million

After such a press conference, it is logical to expect two things. The first is demands for revenge from Chimaev’s team. Since the fight was a split, with one judge giving the win to Khamzat, and the fight itself being competitive, the UFC will almost certainly arrange a second bout. Moreover, Strickland now hints without undue modesty that he is “the main showman.” And Chimaev, most likely, will state in his post-speech that the judges robbed him (this has not happened yet, but we are waiting).

And second — the second phase of promotion. Now their conflict will move from the plane of “I will destroy you” to the plane of “you betrayed me” or “you don’t respect my people.” This is an even more important topic for squabbling on the Internet. Strickland specifically emphasizes the words “Chechen”, “proud”, “from another part of the world”. He seems to hug Chimaev with one hand, and with the other he adds fuel to the fire. Because if Chimaev now answers: “Yes, we agreed with him,” his reputation as a “bloodthirsty wolf” will collapse. And if Chimaev starts making excuses or getting angry, he will again fall into the same trap.

Life for a Russian-speaking fan

For our brother (a Russian MMA fan), this whole situation is as familiar as possible and at the same time ironic. Because we like it when everything is “according to the rules” and “for the lads”. For many, Chimaev is “one of our own,” a Chechen, almost a fellow countryman. Strickland is a typical American troll who can spit in the soul and then say “it’s just business.” And in this story there are no right and wrong — there are just two professionals.

The coolest thing is that Strickland broke the fourth wall with his phrase “we did something to promote the fight.” He directly told the fans: “You are not spectators, you are part of the marketing, while you are angry in the comments, we get big checks” . And this is the honest truth. While you and I hated Strickland for posts about “prophets” or sang for Chimaev, citing “honor,” the UFC was earning millions of dollars.

And after that, who should you be offended by? Except for yourself. Sport is business, baby.

Technical details of the battle (for those who watched only the cuts)

Chimaev traditionally tried to take down Strickland in the first two rounds. He scored takedowns, kept top control, looked for chokes and leverage. But Strickland defended himself at the level of “really cool wrestling defense.” He got up, jumped like a clockwork, smashed Chimaev’s face with jabs from a distance. At the end of the 3rd, 4th and 5th rounds, Strickland took the initiative, forcing Khamzat to breathe through his mouth and miss series.

A split decision is a normal outcome. One judge really could have given the fight to Chimaev for control and pressure in the early rounds. But the other two judges praised Strickland's work on damage and activity in the late stretches.

Key takeaway for the article and for you guys

Sean Strickland isn't the nicest guy, but he's honest about the main thing: he works on the show. He says what will bring money. And now, after declaring his love for Chimaev, he did the following:

1. He calmed his conscience: “I’m not a racist, this is work.”
2. I bought respect in the eyes of those who sang for Chimaev: “Your guy is good, I love him.”
3. I created an intrigue: if Chimaev takes the bait, there will be a rematch.
4. And most importantly, he finally legitimized his victory: “We are friends, but I beat him on business.”

So if you have ever written an angry comment under a post about the skirmish between Strickland and Chimaev, know: Sean mentally told you “thank you for watching and for your 79 dollars for the broadcast.” The promotion of the fight was a complete success. And there are almost no real enemies left in the UFC — only pros with big bank accounts.

P.S. One of the users in the telegram channel responded briefly: “Strickland is a genius. He beat us all both in the octagon and in the comments.” It's hard to argue with that.

According to the news feed https://mma.metaratings.ru

Xrust “We were just bastardizing, and you bought it”: Strickland admitted that he and Chimaev orchestrated the scandal for money