Sean Strickland‘s stalled middleweight title fight boiled over this month when Nassourdine Imavov confronted the champion face to face at the UFC Performance Institute in Las Vegas. On Wednesday, insider Mike Bohn reported that a rematch between the two is now being targeted for February, somewhere in Florida.
A heated confrontation at the Performance Institute
The incident happened on Wednesday, October 7, and was caught on camera by people on site. Nassourdine Imavov approached Sean Strickland in person to ask why he still hadn’t signed their fight, going as far as offering to pay him out of his own pocket, saying, “I have money, I give.” Someone tried to calm the situation down, but Imavov kept raising his voice as the champion walked away. The confrontation escalated when Imavov appeared to chase after him, prompting UFC security to step in and hold him back.
On X, Sean Strickland dismissed the scene as content staged for the cameras, pointing to a facility full of security staff and a training partner of Imavov’s who would know his schedule. He summed it up in two words: “Definition of cringe.”
A champion who says he is underpaid
The confrontation followed a string of angry posts from Sean Strickland about his pay for this fight. Fellow middleweight Joe Pyfer, who publicly backed him, said Strickland made more than a million dollars guaranteed to beat Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 328, and would make less to defend the belt against Imavov under what Pyfer described as a 50-50 pay structure. Pyfer summed up Strickland’s frustration: “He can’t seem to make sense why he’s rematching a guy he already beat for less money than he won the title for.” Strickland threatened to vacate the 185-pound title, move up to light heavyweight to fulfill his UFC contract, and then jump to boxing for bigger paydays. Pyfer also compared the situation to boxing, noting that Zuffa Boxing guaranteed Conor Benn 15 million dollars while, in his view, UFC fighters are left fighting for pennies on the dollar. A meeting with UFC leadership was reported for the week of October 19, and Dana White has since said Strickland signed a new contract, though the details of the dispute were not made public.
Imavov, the top contender being held up
Nassourdine Imavov openly claims the number one contender spot at 185 pounds. In September 2025, he handed Caio Borralho the only loss of his career, before the Brazilian beat Reinier de Ridder to get his own title push back on track. Strickland and Imavov have only fought once, in January 2023, in a UFC Fight Night bout Strickland won by unanimous decision after taking the fight on short notice. Since then, Imavov has built himself into one of the most dangerous strikers in the middleweight division and the biggest roadblock to an all-American rematch between Strickland and Chimaev. Born in Dagestan, he moved to France, where he built most of his career before joining the UFC, and he now ranks among the best French fighters on the current roster.
A rematch reportedly lined up for Florida
According to a report relayed Wednesday by MMA Junkie insider Mike Bohn, a deal to run the fight back may already be signed, or close to it, for February, somewhere in Florida. The matchup has not yet been officially announced by the UFC, and no event or venue has been confirmed. Florida is a state the promotion regularly turns to for its ticket sales and crowd turnout.
Khamzat Chimaev is left waiting
Khamzat Chimaev, who lost the title to Strickland at UFC 328, has spent weeks insisting he will follow the champion wherever he goes for a rematch. “If he goes up to 205, I’ll go after him and take his head,” Chimaev told MMA Fighting, adding, “This guy is not going to run from me.” He says he does not know exactly what is going on between Strickland and Imavov, but warns he is ready to fight either man if the announced bout falls through. With Florida shaping up as the champion’s next stop, Chimaev will apparently have to keep waiting.
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