TLDR
- Nassourdine Imavov confronted Sean Strickland at the UFC Performance Institute in Las Vegas on Wednesday
- Imavov demanded to know why Strickland hasn’t signed the contract for their title fight and offered him money
- Strickland walked away from the confrontation and later called it ‘cringe’ and ‘fake content’ on Instagram
- Imavov visited Strickland’s gym first before going to the PI with friends and cameras
- Strickland has been vocal about UFC pay issues and has threatened to vacate his title
Sources: sports.yahoo.com | mmamania.com | mmafighting.com
UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland had an uncomfortable encounter with challenger Nassourdine Imavov at the UFC Performance Institute in Las Vegas on Wednesday. Video footage shows Imavov attempting to confront Strickland about their delayed title fight.
In the video, Imavov approaches Strickland and asks why he hasn’t signed the contract to fight him. “You not sign the contract? What is the problem? Money? I have money!” Imavov says in the footage.
Nassourdine Imavov just ran into Sean Strickland in Las Vegas and it got HEATED 😳
🗣️ Imavov: "What is your problem? You not sign the contract?"
🗣️ Strickland: "Say what?"
🗣️ Imavov: "Money? I have money, I give. Hey I'm here, where are you going?" pic.twitter.com/wVA0xuJchP
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) October 7, 2026
Strickland simply walks away from the confrontation without engaging. Security personnel were present and intervened to keep the two fighters separated.
Imavov Calls Strickland a ‘Pussy’
As Strickland left, Imavov continued shouting at him. “The problem is that he talks shit everytime, social media. I’m here now and he’s going. He’s a pussy, bro,” Imavov told security guards.
Imavov tried to push past security to get closer to Strickland but was stopped before he could reach the champion. Someone from Strickland’s team told Imavov to stop, saying “This isn’t helping!”
According to reports, Imavov first went to Strickland’s gym before heading to the Performance Institute. He arrived at the PI with several friends who filmed the encounter on their phones.
Strickland Responds on Instagram
Strickland later addressed the incident on Instagram, calling it “cringe.” He suggested that Imavov chose the PI because he could get past the staff with security present to create content.
“His training partner knows our schedule because he’s trained with us,” Strickland said. “Tuesday and Thursday 10am xtreme but instead chose to go to the pi with the nicest more than likely under paid staff and full security to get content.”
When asked what happened after the video ended, Strickland dismissed it as staged. “Nothing bro it was all fake content if anything its just mildy uncomfortable,” he wrote. “4 guys with iPhones and security lol I just felt awkward.”
Imavov is on a five-fight winning streak and appears to be the next challenger for Strickland’s middleweight title. The two fighters previously met in 2023 at UFC Fight Night, where Imavov won by unanimous decision.
Strickland reclaimed the middleweight championship by defeating Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 328 in June. Since then, he has been vocal about his frustrations with UFC pay.
On Wednesday, Strickland posted several times on social media about money issues with the UFC. He has threatened to vacate his title and pursue boxing or other opportunities that might pay more.
Strickland said his “heart’s not in MMA” anymore and suggested he might switch to boxing. He has also mentioned the possibility of fighting Jake Paul for what he believes would be better compensation.
The confrontation appears unlikely to speed up negotiations for the fight. Some observers believe it might cause Strickland to delay signing a deal even longer out of spite.
Imavov has been waiting for a title shot despite his winning streak, which includes victories over top middleweight contenders. His lack of a title fight has been a source of frustration, leading to Wednesday’s confrontation at the Performance Institute.
