Threats? Boring.
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Middleweight champion, Khamzat Chimaev, is set to defend his title for the first time next weekend (Sat., May 9, 2026) against heated rival, Sean Strickland, in UFC 328’s main event from inside Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.
With less than 10 days until fight night, the trash talk has taken a wild turn. Strickland recently claimed he’d bring a gun to fight week and would use it if Chimaev and his team “tried anything,” escalating things far beyond typical pre-fight antics.
Chimaev isn’t impressed, just like his team.
“Clowns always talk,” Chimaev told media during a UFC 328 scrum in Newport Beach, Calif. “Bro, he hasn’t shot any chickens in the world, how is he going to shoot a human? I don’t think the guy wants a war outside the cage; if he wanted it, he’d be dead already…Bro, in New Jersey, this is a Muslim community, it’s my home, so I don’t think he’s going to come out with a gun there. Otherwise, there would be a lot of people in jail.”
While the rhetoric continues to escalate, “Borz” admits there’s a silver lining.
“I love it,” Chimaev said. “I love the UFC, I love Sean Strickland and what he’s talking about — making a big fight, letting me make money.”
At this point, it’s clear the hostility won’t cool anytime soon — and if this is any indication, UFC 328 fight week could get even more chaotic and NSFW.
For the latest UFC 328 fight card and rumors click here.
