The middleweight title picture is getting interesting once again. Just a week ago, it seemed almost certain that Sean Strickland would defend his 185-pound crown against Nassourdine Imavov at UFC 335 on December 12.
However, the UFC went in a different direction, booking Charles Oliveira vs. Diego Lopes for the BMF title as the headliner, with Alex Pereira vs. Sergei Pavlovich at heavyweight serving as the co-main event. While Strickland recently suffered an ATV accident, he was still expected to compete in Las Vegas.
Then, the money issue came to light. A fan on Instagram asked Strickland about speculation that he had asked the UFC for more money. The middleweight champion simply replied, “bingo lol.” At the end of September, Strickland had also responded to another fan on X, confirming that negotiations for his title fight against Imavov were ongoing between the UFC and his team.
Now, Imavov has seemingly offered to help solve the problem himself. The French-Dagestani fighter offered to put $500,000 of his own money on the line if Strickland agrees to fight him. A fan on X claimed, “Sean Strickland is asking for 1 million dollars to fight on January 16 at UFC 336 against Imavov, while the UFC is only offering him 400k, 400k win.”
😂😂😂 If it’s really about money, I’ll put $500K of my own money on the line if you beat me in January @SStricklandMMA putting this on record
If you still don’t take it, then you’re just scared. I’ll handle you outside. @ufc THIS is your champ? Come on STRIP HIM #NoHappyEnding
— Imavov Nassourdine (@imavov1) October 4, 2026
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Imavov didn’t take long to respond. He wrote, “If it’s really about money, I’ll put $500K of my own money on the line if you beat me in January @SStricklandMMA, putting this on record. If you still don’t take it, then you’re just scared. I’ll handle you outside. @ufc THIS is your champ? Come on, STRIP HIM #NoHappyEnding.”
That’s where Khamzat Chimaev jumped into the conversation and tried to tempt Strickland into a rematch following their UFC 328 clash. However, his offer was considerably more humble.
Khamzat Chimaev Calls Out Sean Strickland Again as UFC Pay Dispute Continues
He wrote on X, “Strickland, I will pay you one (lemon). Send me location and let’s fight; I don’t care if it’s inside or outside of the cage.”
Chimaev’s involvement is hardly surprising. “Borz” has been calling for an immediate rematch with Strickland ever since losing the middleweight title to him in May. However, once Imavov’s title opportunity was all but locked in, Chimaev was willing to step aside and let the French-Dagestani fighter get his shot.
Striciland I will pay you 1 🍋
Send me location and let’s fight don’t care outside inside the cage 🦾— Khamzat Chimaev (@KChimaev) October 5, 2026
Chimaev also recently revealed that he is dealing with injuries and needs surgery to recover. He claimed that if the UFC was not going to book him for a fight in 2026, he was prepared to take an extended break.
Outside the UFC, “Borz” recently dominated Tyron Woodley at RAF Moscow. He is now scheduled to face Colby Covington at RAF Abu Dhabi for the RAF Crossover title on November 14, with the event clashing with UFC 334.
With Strickland’s money demands seemingly becoming a major talking point, Imavov putting $500,000 on the table and Chimaev throwing his name back into the mix, the UFC has plenty to figure out at 185 pounds. It will be interesting to see what the promotion ultimately decides to do with the middleweight title picture.
Kshitiz Kumar Singh is a UFC Writer at NY Fights with over three years of experience in sports journalism and content creation. Known for his sharp storytelling and passion for combat sports, he has written in-depth features on stars like Brock Lesnar, Randy Couture, and Ilia Topuria. Before joining NY Fights, Kshitiz worked as a UFC Editor at EssentiallySports while currently serving as a WWE Editor at FirstSportz. His admiration for legends like Georges St-Pierre continues to inspire his detailed and engaging MMA coverage. Whether he’s covering the Octagon or the squared circle, Kshitiz is committed to delivering accurate, high-quality content. Outside the world of sports, he’s a dedicated cinephile, often found practicing monologues from his favorite Al Pacino films, combining his love for cinema with storytelling.
