Sean Strickland wanted $1 million. Khamzat Chimaev says he’ll pay it, as long as the money is for a rematch with him.
Yahoo Sports reported Tuesday that Chimaev publicly offered Strickland $1 million to run it back, and MMA Fighting’s Morning Report summed up the pitch as Chimaev telling Strickland to “send me location.” That is about as close to an invitation as Chimaev gets. The offer is aimed squarely at the money dispute that has kept Strickland’s next middleweight title defense off the books.
That defense was supposed to be against Nassourdine Imavov. Over the weekend the UFC 335 card for December came together without Strickland vs. Imavov on it, and the explanation spread fast on X. The account @DovySimuMMA posted that Strickland wasn’t on UFC 335 because he wants more money. The account @Erntastedfresh claimed Strickland is asking for $1 million to face Imavov on January 16 at UFC 336, and that the UFC is offering $400K to show and $400K to win. Those figures come from social media posts and haven’t been confirmed by the UFC or Strickland’s camp, so treat them as reported, not settled.
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Imavov didn’t wait for confirmation. After the December card dropped without him, he posted “Playing tough 😂” on X. A day later he went further and made Strickland an offer of his own.
“If it’s really about money, I’ll put $500K of my own money on the line if you beat me in January @SStricklandMMA putting this on record,” Imavov wrote on X on Sunday.
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He followed that with a shot at the champion’s nerve and a request to the promotion: “If you still don’t take it, then you’re just scared. I’ll handle you outside. @ufc THIS is your champ? Come on STRIP HIM #NoHappyEnding”
So within about 48 hours, Strickland has gone from a contract standoff with his employer to having two contenders openly bidding for his time. Imavov is offering to cover a side bet. Chimaev is offering to cover the whole number. Strickland hasn’t publicly accepted either one, and the UFC hasn’t announced a new date or opponent for his next title defense.
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Now the numbers, because the numbers are the only interesting part. If the reported UFC offer is accurate, Strickland makes $800K by beating Imavov. His ask is $1 million. The gap is $200K. Imavov’s $500K side bet more than closes that gap, but only if Strickland wins, which turns a pay dispute into a straight prop bet on himself. A champion who likes his own chances should love that action. Chimaev’s offer is the flashier headline, but it’s a fighter promising a purse he doesn’t control, and I’ve lost enough money on promises to know the difference between an offer and a contract. The Imavov fight still has a real slot on January 16 at UFC 336. Whether Strickland is on that card tells you exactly how much he believes in his own odds.
