Nassourdine Imavov is tired of waiting. The UFC middleweight contender pulled up to Sean Strickland’s gym in Las Vegas on Wednesday looking for the champion, and when Strickland wasn’t there, he tracked him down at the UFC Performance Institute instead.
The footage shows Imavov getting in Strickland’s face and demanding he sign the contract for their title fight. “You not sign the contract? What is the problem? Money? I have money, I give.” Security had to hold Imavov back as he chased Strickland outside. Strickland barely engaged and walked off.
Strickland responded later, calling the whole thing “cringe” and “fake content.” He said Imavov’s training partner knew their schedule and that Imavov chose the PI, with its security and staff, to get content.
But the confrontation is only half the story. Strickland spent Wednesday airing out his pay dispute with the UFC, saying Conor McGregor made a reported $30 million for a 69 second fight while the UFC won’t pay him a fraction of that. He’s talking about vacating the belt, moving to light heavyweight to finish out his contract, and then boxing Jake Paul. “My heart just isn’t in MMA anymore,” he wrote. Paul already responded, telling Strickland to have his promoter call Most Valuable Promotions.
Some backstory: Strickland beat Imavov by unanimous decision back in January 2023, then reclaimed the middleweight belt in May with a split decision win over Khamzat Chimaev. He was expected to defend in December, but the UFC announced its December 12 card without him. Imavov, riding a five fight win streak, says he’ll pay Strickland $500,000 out of his own pocket if Strickland beats him in January, and he’s asked the UFC to strip the belt if Strickland won’t sign.
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Photos: MMAnytt and JoeKhanMMA via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.