The UFC recently announced the headliners for UFC 335, with Charles Oliveira set to face Diego Lopes for the BMT title. Meanwhile, Alex Pereira will take on Sergei Pavlovich in a five-round co-main event.
However, there had been rumors for weeks that Sean Strickland would make his first middleweight title defense against Nassourdine Imavov at the December 12 event. With Strickland healthy and ready to fight, the former champion hinted on social media that money was the reason the fight had not been booked yet.
A fan on Instagram asked Strickland about speculation that he had asked the UFC for more money. The middleweight champion simply replied, “bingo lol.” While Strickland didn’t elaborate, he had already confirmed that he was negotiating with the UFC over the fight.
Sean Strickland is NOT fighting Imavov on the UFC 335 card because he want more money https://t.co/jF7EQaOQeZ
— Dovy🔌 (@DovySimuMMA) October 4, 2026
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At the end of September, Strickland responded to a fan on X who asked, “Is it true you’re fighting Imavov Sean?” The reigning 185-pound champion replied, “We’re discussing pay now. Once that detail is squared, it’s locked in. The issue is no one cares about the fake Frenchman. We’re almost there.”
Now, Imavov has fired back with an open challenge to Strickland and is even willing to put a serious amount of money on the line to get the title fight done.
Nassourdine Imavov Offers to Solve Sean Strickland’s Money Demands That Reportedly Cancelled UFC 335 Fight
With Strickland reportedly looking for more money to agree to the matchup, the French-Dagestani fighter has offered to put $500,000 of his own money on the line if the champion 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 are only offering him 400k, 400k win.”
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.”
😂😂😂 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
For the unversed, Imavov is currently the No. 3-ranked middleweight and is riding a five-fight winning streak. The French-Dagestani fighter most recently picked up a decision win over Caio Borralho in the main event of UFC Paris in September 2025.
That victory came seven months after Imavov scored a knockout win over Israel Adesanya. His last loss ironically came against Strickland in 2023, when he accepted the fight on short notice at UFC Fight Night 217 at light heavyweight.
Strickland, meanwhile, recently had a scare after being involved in a side-by-side vehicle accident at 60 mph without a helmet. The champion later took to social media to show off the minor injuries he suffered.
But Strickland was already back sparring at the UFC Performance Institute the very next day. His longtime coach Eric Nicksick had advised him against it, but admitted there was little he could do to change the champion’s mind.
With Strickland back in training, it appears the accident did not cause any serious injuries that would prevent him from defending his title. If Strickland and the UFC can reach an agreement, fans could finally see him face Imavov in the first quarter of 2027.
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.
