UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland says the first defence of his title against Nassourdine Imavov is all but agreed, with pay the only issue left to settle. The American has already beaten the Frenchman once, taking a unanimous decision at light heavyweight in January 2023. "We're discussing pay now. Once that detail is squared it's locked in. The issue is no one cares about the fake Frenchman. We're almost there," Strickland wrote on X, taking a pointed swipe at his challenger.
Khamzat Chimaev, who lost the belt to Strickland at UFC 328 in May, has revealed that the UFC turned down his push for a rematch. Imavov, by contrast, arrives on a five-fight winning streak, a run that included knocking out the legendary Israel Adesanya. The middleweight title fight is pencilled in to headline UFC 335 in Las Vegas on 12 December.
