Apr 9, 2022; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Khamzat Chimaev (blue gloves) after a fight against Gilbert Burns (red gloves) during UFC 273 at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Yeazell-USA TODAY Sports

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Khamzat Chimaev Fires Back At Sean Strickland After UFC 319 Victory; Pulls Paulo Costa In The Crossfire

The middleweight division has seen its fair share of trash talk, rivalries, and bitter feuds that often spill over from training rooms to social media and eventually into the cage itself. Khamzat Chimaev just added another explosive chapter to this ongoing soap opera. After capturing the middleweight title at UFC 319 with a dominant performance against Dricus Du Plessis, the Chechen fighter found himself dealing with some unexpected commentary from his former training partner Sean Strickland.

What started as typical post-fight analysis quickly turned into a war of words that somehow managed to drag Paulo Costa into the mess. The whole situation perfectly captures the weird dynamics that exist in MMA, where former teammates can become bitter rivals fast.

Sean Strickland Takes Aim At Khamzat Chimaev

Sean Strickland has never been one to keep his thoughts to himself. The former middleweight champion made some eyebrow raising claims about his old training sessions with Chimaev. According to Strickland, he used to regularly out grapple the newly crowned champion during their five round training sessions. He even went as far as promising to work his way back to a title shot just to prove his grappling superiority over Chimaev.

Im probably the only one in the UFC that can out grapple that little whore for 5 rounds….

Well looks like I gotta stack some Ws to fight that little bitch lmao
— Sean Strickland (@SStricklandMMA) August 17, 2025

This bold declaration came at an interesting time, considering Chimaev had just put on one of the most dominant wrestling displays in recent memory. His performance against Du Plessis at UFC 319 was nothing short of spectacular, landing an incredible 529 strikes compared to Du Plessis’s mere 45. The numbers tell a story of complete dominance that left many wondering how anyone could claim to have regularly bested this wrestling machine.

Khamzat Chimaev Responds To Sean Strickland

Chimaev’s response during the post-fight press conference was both dismissive and brutally honest. He pointed out the obvious flaw in Strickland’s logic by referencing how Du Plessis had successfully taken Strickland down multiple times in their previous encounter. The Chechen fighter’s logic was simple and cutting: if Du Plessis could take Strickland down, and Chimaev just dominated Du Plessis completely, then what does that say about Strickland’s chances?

What made Chimaev’s response even more entertaining was how he managed to bring Paulo Costa into the conversation. The new champion suggested that Strickland and Costa make perfect training partners, essentially lumping them together as fighters he’s already proven superior to.

“Bro, Dricus took him down many times, how can he take me down, come on. This guy, I beat him everywhere, striking, this guy just talks too much, he’s a funny guy, he’s working with Paulo Costa, I put them together.”

Khamzat Chimaev addresses Sean Strickland and Paulo Costa training together

"Bro, Dricus took him down. How can he take me down? I made them together." 😅

(via @ufc ) #UFC319 pic.twitter.com/DbCPkuFnQr
— Red Corner MMA (@RedCorner_MMA) August 17, 2025

By grouping Costa with Strickland, Chimaev delivered a double blow that questioned both fighters’ credentials as legitimate contenders. The timing of this feud also raises questions about what’s next for both these fighters. Strickland needs to rebuild his case for another title shot after losing to Du Plessis. Costa continues searching for the big fight that will put him back in title contention.

(Image Credit: David Yeazell – Imagn Images)

Khamzat Chimaev

Paulo Costa

Sean Strickland

UFC 319

Zaid Quraishi

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I am a dedicated MMA and Boxing content writer at The Playoffs. I was instantly hooked on MMA after watching the fight between Lyoto Machida vs. Gegard Mousasi back in 2014, and since then, i have been an avid writer with a deep love for the sport and its techniques, providing readers with a thorough understanding of the sport. My favorite aspect of working at The Playoffs is the creative freedom it provides. The diverse range of topics, from listicles and SEO to news articles, keeps me engaged and motivates me to continuously improve my skills! I aim to capture the excitement of the combat sports world in my writing, acting as the middleman between fighters and their die-hard fans. It is kind of like a referee, but with words!