‘He’s a rat’… Sean Strickland reacts to Khamzat Chimaev leaking sparring footage ahead of UFC 328

Sean Strickland once again tore into Khamzat Chimaev after the champion released footage he didn’t know existed of their fabled sparring.

Strickland welcomed Chimaev into the Xtreme Couture gym in 2022, and they briefly worked out together while at the time competing in separate divisions. Now, with a world title battle on the horizon at UFC 328, the sparring stories have become the stuff of legend.

However, the brief clip that the middleweight champion shared looked to be more of a light, almost warm-up between the pair than anything particularly aggressive. Regardless, Strickland was not happy to be recorded during a session and to then have it released publicly.

Sean Strickland rages at Khamzat Chimaev as he leaks sparring video

The bad blood between Sean Strickland and Khamzat Chimaev is palpable, with both men being flanked by extra security throughout fight week to avoid an altercation. However, they are also keen to downplay the threat of anything happening in the coming days that could jeopardize the event.

Speaking with media, including Bloody Elbow, in New Jersey today, Strickland said of the sparring video leak: “The guy is just a little f—ing rat, dude. I didn’t know we were filming and those were little warm-up rounds.