Sean Strickland admits he was victim of child abuse in response to Khamzat Chimaev's "father" jibe: "My dad did hit me with some beer bottles"

Sean Strickland recently opened up about his experience with childhood abuse after Khamzat Chimaev took a dig at his relationship with his father. Despite once being training partners, the two middleweight fighters have been trading barbs on social media, taking personal shots at each other.

Strickland is set to challenge reigning 185-pound titleholder Dricus du Plessis in a championship rematch, headlining UFC 312 this Saturday at the Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, Australia.

In the lead-up to this showdown, the outspoken former champion has been relentless in criticizing 'Borz' over his ties to the controversial Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov and his family, as the undefeated Russian appears to be next in line for a title shot.

Check out Sean Strickland's comments below:

In response, Chimaev recently flipped the script on Strickland on X, mocking him for his widely known struggle with a difficult upbringing influenced by the challenges of his abusive father. He wrote:

"Why are you a crybaby all the time? Did your father not give you love, or did he show his love to you too much?"

'Tarzan' swiftly fired back at Chimaev and acknowledged his own experience with childhood abuse, but once again lashed out at him for his close ties to Kadyrov:

"Here’s the thing: my dad did hit me with some beer bottles once or twice, lmao, I will admit it. Made me the man I am today... but I guarantee this little wh*re suck*d off Kadyrov. Obviously, not good enough because you had to flee your country."

Strickland added:

"#chechenwh*re not the first time you went to your knees."

Check out Sean Strickland's post below:

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When Sean Strickland became emotional recounting the childhood abuse he endured from his father

Sean Strickland is one of the most controversial figures in MMA, with many of his bold statements rooted in a turbulent childhood shaped by the hardships of being raised in an abusive household dominated by his alcoholic father.

During his appearance on This Past Weekend with Theo Von in January 2024, Strickland broke down in tears as he revisited a deeply traumatic memory of his father threatening to hurt both him and his mother:

"He [Strickland's father] was on drugs, lots of drugs... I remember I used to sit there and just hug my mom's leg in the kitchen. We had this little nook, and she would go there, and I would just sit there all night long, by the feet of my mom, while my dad [would go] like, 'I'm going to f**king kill you'... I'll never forget, he would talk about burning her face with acid, and, mind you, I'm in elementary school."

Check out Sean Strickland's comments below: