UFC Champion Sean Strickland Called Out by Former Opponent for Next UFC Title Fight

If Khamzat Chimaev isn’t given an immediate chance to reclaim the UFC middleweight belt, it looks like Sean Strickland has another rematch as an option for his first title defense.

After he famously unseated Israel Adesanya to first win the middleweight belt at UFC 293, Strickland once again pulled off a stunning upset last weekend at UFC 328 and handed Khamzat Chimaev the first loss of his career to win the promotion’s 185 lbs. belt for the second time.

The size of the upset and fact that Chimaev came into the night with an undefeated record mean it would be no surprise to see the UFC give him an immediate rematch with Strickland, but “Borz” has claimed that he intends to move up to light heavyweight following a difficult weight cut ahead of UFC 328.

Nassourdine Imavov Calls Out Sean Strickland for UFC Rematch

It’s still too early to know if Chimaev is serious about moving on from the middleweight division, but #3-ranked contender Nassourdine Imavov has wasted no time trying to set up his own rematch with Strickland.

They say I take things too personally. Damn right. Religion, family, nation… these aren’t marketing to me. Every insult comes with a price. You’ll pay for it! NO HAPPY ENDING @SStricklandMMA https://t.co/nsiVVUr6Z9
— Imavov Nassourdine (@imavov1) May 11, 2026

“They say I take things too personally. Damn right. Religion, family, nation… these aren’t marketing to me. Every insult comes with a price. You’ll pay for it! NO HAPPY ENDING”

A member of the UFC roster since 2020, Imavov was scheduled to meet former title challenger Kelvin Gastelum in a UFC Fight Night main event in early 2023 before Gastelum withdrew from the headlining bout with an injury.

Sean Strickland and Nassourdine Imavov during their fight. | (Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)

Strickland ended up stepping in on short notice and took a unanimous decision over Imavov before he also stopped Abus Magomedov in his next outing to set up his title opportunity against Adesanya later that year.

Will Nassourdine Imavov Get the Next UFC Middleweight Title Shot?

Imavov returned to action at UFC 289 and unfortunately saw his fight with Chris Curtis end in a No Contest due to an accidental clash of heads, but since then he’s won five-straight fights to put himself squarely in the conversation for a middleweight title shot.

Nassourdine Imavov (red gloves) fights Caio Borralho (blue gloves) during UFC Fight Night at Accor Arena. | Per Haljestam-Imagn Images

“The Sniper” knocked out Adesanya last year as part of what’s become a four-fight skid for the former champion since losing the middleweight belt to Strickland at UFC 293. Imavov most recently took a unanimous decision over fellow top contender Caio Borralho last September, which was a fight that many viewed as a potential title eliminator for the middleweight division.

Khamzat Chimaev (red gloves) fights Sean Strickland (blue gloves) during UFC 328 at Prudential Center. | John Jones-Imagn Images

Likely due to a longstanding war of words and perceived bad blood between the two, the UFC opted to give Strickland the first crack at Chimaev after the now-two-time champion stopped Anthony Hernandez in February. Both fighters have faced criticism for the way they seemed to bury the hatchet as soon as they entered the Octagon together, and it remains to be seen which direction the UFC will opt to go in for the first fight of Strickland’s second middleweight title reign.

Add us as a preferred source on Google