Sean Strickland didn’t hold back when talking about his UFC 328 opponent, Middleweight Champion Khamzat Chimaev.
Strickland will challenge Chimaev for the title on May 9, seeking to turn out to be a two-time champion while also beating a person he has a deeply personal rivalry with.
Strickland has repeatedly called Chimaev a terrorist, citing a relationship between Chimaev and Ramzat Kadyrov, Head of the Chechen Republic and wanted war criminal. And that has since spurred on a back-and-forth that continued during a media scrum with Strickland (via “MMA Mania”).
“I’mma pull my gun out. I’ll shoot him,” Strickland said if Chimaev tried to approach him on the road. “That being said, if Chimaev were to return as much as me as a gentleman and say, ‘Hey you understand what, you said some things, you insulted my wife. I actually love sheep. It’s crazy.’ Then I could be like, ‘I really like goats, dude. You understand, goat tastes good.’ He loves goats, we’ve got that in common. I just don’t f*** them.”
Strickland continued, “In any case, should you were to return as much as me like a person, say, ‘You understand, Sean, you said some things about my dad [Ramzan] Kadyrov.’ I’m like, ‘Well you understand what, dude, you wh***d yourself out, not me.’ I might say, ‘Let’s settle this like a person.’ But should you come as much as me with three f***ing goat f***er Chechnyans that do not speak English, I’ll pull my gun and I’ll shoot every one in every of you.”
Strickland went on to contrast his feelings fighting someone like Anthony Hernandez in February versus someone like Chimaev.
“I really like fighting and I’m stoked that I get to f***ing fight a little bit f***ing w***e,” he said. “Fluffy Hernandez, I mean I desired to fight ’cause it was a very good fight, but like I just like the guy. He’s a fantastic f***ing guy. He’s a real American. We have got to speak in regards to the Mexican flag he represents, but he’s a very good American.”