Sean Strickland’s former opponent rages at rival ahead of Khamzat Chimaev UFC 328 grudge fight

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Sean Strickland’s former opponent rages at rival ahead of Khamzat Chimaev UFC 328 grudge fight

Originally posted on Bloody Elbow | By Donagh Corby | Last updated May 5, 2026 11:59 AM ET

Brendan Allen is not happy with how Sean Strickland is conducting himself ahead of his next effort at the middleweight title.

A knockout win over Allen in November of 2020 has aged particularly well for Strickland, who is set for his third world title challenge on Saturday night against Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 328. It kick-started a run that saw the controversial star eventually get a chance at the belt in 2023, which he took.

Allen has been part of Chimaev’s camp for this weekend’s show in Newark, and it appears that there is very little respect between former opponents.

Brendan Allen tears into Sean Strickland ahead of UFC 328

Number four-ranked contender Brendan Allen launched a tirade on Sean Strickland in a recent interview with Submission Radio. He still wants a rematch after their first fight which took place on short notice, and is not a fan of the former champion’s brand of trash talk.

Allen did not hold back, telling the YouTube channel: “He’s always talking about dudes getting f—ed and stuff, it’s weird… Everyone talks about him catching me and TKOing me what was it? Six years ago or whatever? Like, I was 24, I’m 30 now.

“Let’s see how it goes now? I think he got lucky that night, I made a stupid error and he got it, it is what it is. It happened but I still think nine times out of ten I beat him there but that’s how the game works, we don’t get nine times, we get one night and he got it, it is what it is.”

Allen claims that the reaction from Team Chimaev to Strickland’s threats of fight week violence was to just laugh, adding: “He just sounds r—–ed. Like, ‘alright bro, y’all are going to fight on Saturday let’s see if you’re talking all that s— then’.

“Because you weren’t talking that s— when y’all trained, you were shouting across the room at Eric [Nicksick] saying how he’s a bad coach for putting you with him. But we don’t want to talk about that, do we?

“We don’t want to talk about guys that watched the sparring and training saying that you got tapped out or made to quit or whatever. Nobody wants to talk about those things. So we just think as a team, his coaches and everyone, ‘let him talk’.”

This article first appeared on Bloody Elbow and was syndicated with permission.

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