TLDR
- Nassourdine Imavov offered Sean Strickland $500,000 of his own money for a January title fight
- Strickland reportedly wants $1 million while UFC offers $800,000 total ($400K to show, $400K to win)
- The rematch was expected for UFC 335 in December but was replaced by Oliveira vs Lopes
- Imavov called for the UFC to strip Strickland if negotiations continue to stall
- Strickland defeated Imavov in January 2023 on short notice at light heavyweight
Sources: sherdog.com | rg.org | sportscapemagazine.com
Nassourdine Imavov has offered to pay Sean Strickland $500,000 from his own pocket to secure a UFC middleweight title fight. The French challenger also called for the UFC to strip Strickland of his championship if the rematch continues to stall.
The two fighters were expected to headline UFC 335 on December 12 in Las Vegas. However, the UFC announced during the UFC 332 broadcast that the event would instead be headlined by a BMF title fight between Charles Oliveira and Diego Lopes.
Nassourdine Imavov offers Sean Strickland $500K if he beats him 😳
"If it's really about money, I'll put $500K of my own money on the line if you beat me in January. I'm putting this on record.
If you still don't take it, then you're just scared. I'll handle you outside the… pic.twitter.com/JoYAX9hZBv
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) October 4, 2026
Money Dispute Holding Up Title Fight
Strickland confirmed on social media last month that a rematch with Imavov was nearly finalized. He stated that only the payment details remained before the fight could be locked in.
An X user later claimed that Strickland is demanding $1 million to fight Imavov in January. According to the same report, the UFC is offering $400,000 to show and $400,000 to win, totaling $800,000 if Strickland wins.
Imavov responded to the payment dispute with a public offer on X. “If it’s really about money, I’ll put $500K of my own money on the line if you beat me in January [Sean Strickland], putting this on record,” he wrote.
The challenger went further in his post. “If you still don’t take it, then you’re just scared. I’ll handle you outside. UFC, THIS is your champ? Come on, STRIP HIM.”
Imavov also mocked Strickland’s public persona in a separate post. He shared a photo tagged “Playing tough” while targeting the champion’s tough-guy image that Strickland has built on social media.
History Between the Two Fighters
Strickland and Imavov first fought in January 2023. The bout took place under unusual circumstances when Kelvin Gastelum withdrew during fight week.
Strickland stepped in on just five days’ notice. The fight also moved from middleweight to light heavyweight because of the short timeframe.
Strickland won by unanimous decision with scores of 49-46, 49-46, and 48-47. He controlled most of the fight despite the last-minute replacement situation.
Since that loss, Imavov has won five straight UFC fights. His victories include wins over Roman Dolidze, Jared Cannonier, Brendan Allen, Israel Adesanya, and Caio Borralho.
Strickland reclaimed the UFC middleweight championship at UFC 328 in May. He defeated Khamzat Chimaev by split decision to win back the title he had previously held.
Strickland previously dismissed Imavov’s drawing power in his X post about negotiations. “The issue is no one cares about the fake Frenchman,” Strickland wrote while confirming talks were ongoing.
Imavov has described his feelings toward Strickland as personal. He has stated multiple times that he believes a rematch under normal circumstances would produce a different result.
With UFC 335 now featuring a different main event, Imavov’s first UFC title shot will be delayed until 2027 unless a January date can be confirmed. The proposed January bout has not been officially announced by the UFC.
