Khamzat Chimaev Releases Never-Before-Seen Sparring Footage with Sean Strickland
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Khamzat Chimaev has broken one of the unwritten rules of mixed martial arts just days before his title defense against Sean Strickland at UFC 328.
On Tuesday, the middleweight champion posted a short clip from a past sparring session with Strickland – the fighter who will challenge him for the 185-pound belt in the main event this Saturday at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Chimaev and Strickland offer differing accounts of their time together in the gym. Strickland claims he made Chimaev tap, while Chimaev reminds his opponent that he recently dominated Dricus du Plessis – the former champion who holds two victories over Strickland.
Watch the never-before-seen footage of Chimaev and Strickland sparring below.
“I bully weak people,” Chimaev wrote in the video’s description.
Chimaev’s clip primarily shows him in an offensive position, but the footage is far from as conclusive or dramatic as both fighters claim. It remains unclear why Chimaev chose to release this material, which is under 30 seconds long and largely innocuous.
Everything will be decided on Sunday morning (Bulgarian time), when Chimaev will attempt his first UFC title defense. Strickland, meanwhile, gets his third shot at the belt.
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