Things are heating up between Sean Strickland and Nassourdine Imavov. The two were rumored to face each other for the UFC middleweight title at UFC 335. However, with pay disputes reportedly holding up negotiations, Strickland did not agree to the bout.
Amid the situation, Imavov came up with a solution of his own when he publicly offered to pay Strickland $500,000 out of his own pocket to help meet his alleged $1 million asking price. That came amid reports that the UFC was offering Strickland $400,000 to show and another $400,000 to win.
Strickland has since made his frustrations with the UFC clear on social media. The middleweight champion has criticized his current pay and even threatened to vacate the 185-pound title, move up to 205 pounds to finish his UFC contract, and then transition to boxing for bigger paydays.
Now, the situation between Strickland and Imavov has gotten even more heated after the two were involved in a confrontation outside the UFC Performance Institute in Las Vegas.
Nassourdine Imavov Calls Out Sean Strickland for Refusing to Sign Reported Middleweight Title Fight Contract
Following Strickland’s explosive tweets on X on Wednesday, he crossed paths with Imavov at the UFC PI. Footage of the incident quickly went viral, with Imavov repeatedly asking Strickland why he had not agreed to the title fight. The French-Dagestani once again offered to pay him out of his own pocket.
Imavov said, “What is your problem? What is your problem? You not sign the contract? Where is the problem? Money? I have money, I give.”
The footage then cut to another moment where Imavov said, “The problem is that he talks s**t every time. Social media. I’m here now. He’s going. He is p***y, bro. Where are you going? I’m here. Hey, I’m here. Where are you going? What you gonna do now?”
Someone at the scene then tried to step in and asked Imavov to stop, pointing out that his attitude was not helping the situation. However, Imavov continued yelling at Strickland as the champion walked away.
Nassourdine Imavov just ran into Sean Strickland in Las Vegas and it got HEATED 😳
🗣️ Imavov: “What is your problem? You not sign the contract?”
🗣️ Strickland: “Say what?”
🗣️ Imavov: “Money? I have money, I give. Hey I’m here, where are you going?” https://t.co/wVA0xuJchP
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) October 7, 2026
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The confrontation escalated further toward the end of the clip, with Imavov appearing to chase after Strickland while several people tried to calm him down. UFC security personnel eventually stepped in and held Imavov back.
Strickland later addressed the incident on X. He appeared to question Imavov’s decision to confront him at the UFC PI instead of at his regular training location, writing, “Cringe… his training partner knows our schedule because he’s trained with us. Tuesday and Thursday 10 am Xtreme, but instead chose to go to the PI with the nicest, more than likely underpaid staff and full security to get content… Definition of cringe.”
Strickland won the middleweight title for the second time at UFC 328 in May, pulling off an upset victory over Khamzat Chimaev by split decision. He previously said he expected to return in December after recovering from an injury, but UFC 335 on December 12 was announced without him on the card.
Sean Strickland responds after Nassourdine Imavov pulled up on him at the UFC PI today:
“Cringe… his training partner knows our schedule because he’s trained with us. But instead chose to go to the PI with the nicest underpaid staff and full security to get content.
It was all fake content. If anything it’s just mildly uncomfortable. 4 guys with iPhones and security lol I just felt awkward.”
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) October 8, 2026
Strickland and Imavov have already shared the Octagon once before. The American defeated the French-Dagestani by unanimous decision on short notice in the main event of UFC Fight Night 217 in January 2023.
Now, with their potential rematch seemingly getting more heated by the day, it remains to be seen how the UFC handles the middleweight title picture and whether Strickland and Imavov will eventually settle their differences inside the Octagon.
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.
