“Can’t become friends with a murderer” - Sean Strickland gets brutally honest about hatred for Khamzat Chimaev despite training together in the past

Sean Strickland reignited his feud with Khamzat Chimaev in the leadup to UFC 312, calling the undefeated fighter out over his relationship with Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov. Strickland criticized Chimaev for allegedly fleeing Chechnya due to oppression but later returning for personal benefits. According to Strickland, Chimaev eventually realized the consequences of his actions and fled again, likely due to U.S. government scrutiny.

Strickland alleged that Chimaev is now in Saudi Arabia or the Middle East, avoiding potential visa issues in the U.S. He compared Chimaev’s actions to historical figures who supported oppressive regimes for personal gain, referencing Dennis Rodman’s friendship with Kim Jong-un. 'Tarzan' argued that dignity should come before financial benefits, something he believes Chimaev lacks.

Shedding light on his harsh comments about Chimaev during a recent interview with Daniel Cormier, Strickland said:

"So Chimaev would come to the gym and there's a clip of me sarcastically saying, 'You're the best.' He would just go and ragdoll low-level pros. There's one guy, a 155-pound [fighter], and [Chimaev] says that he has the same style and looks like my opponent. But he has had three f*cking fights. Stop beating the f*ck out of this guy. There are so many guys in the gym you can fight."

Strickland added:

"Chimaev is a bully man. Even like the crypto scam... If you have an open honest opinion on Chimaev, you're looking at a man who lacks dignity. You can’t become friends with a murderer... There's a reason why he's in Saudi Arabia right now."

Check out Sean Strickland's comments below (2:30):

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Khamzat Chimaev fires back at Sean Strickland's recent comments

Khamzat Chimaev fired back at Sean Strickland ahead of UFC 312, taking a personal jab at the former UFC middleweight champion. Strickland recently criticized Chimaev’s ties to Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, calling him out for his alleged opportunism.

Chimaev responded on social media, mocking Strickland’s troubled childhood and accusing him of constantly complaining. He took to X and wrote:

“Why are you baby crying all the time? Father didn’t give you love, or he showed his love to you too much?”

Check out Khamzat Chimaev's X post below: