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Khamzat Chimaev welcomes Sean Strickland's gun threat: 'I will be happy to die'
TL;DR
Khamzat Chimaev responds to Sean Strickland's gun threat ahead of UFC 328, stating he would be 'happy to die.' Chimaev has not yet encountered Strickland during fight week despite the escalating pre-fight drama.
Key points
- Khamzat Chimaev welcomes Sean Strickland's threats
- Strickland called Chimaev derogatory names
- Chimaev has not seen Strickland during fight week
- UFC is keeping both fighters separated
- Chimaev insists trash talk is not personal
Mentioned in this story
Prudential CenterNewark
Khamzat ChimaevSean StricklandUFC 328
MORRISTOWN, N.J. â Khamzat Chimaev welcomes whatever may come his way from Sean Strickland before or after UFC 328.
The pre-fight drama quickly ramped up when Strickland (30-7 MMA, 17-7 UFC) went on a heated rant, calling the current UFC middleweight champion derogatory names and even threatening to shoot him and his team if they crossed paths and things got heated. Chimaev (15-0 MMA, 9-0 UFC) welcomes the threat, but so far during fight week, he has yet to see his UFC 328 headlining opponent.
"I don't think it's possible (for Strickland to shoot me) because they don't let me see this guy," Chimaev told MMA Junkie and other reporters during a pre-fight media scrum. "So, I don't know where he is. I've been here for three days in the lobby, and the guy said he's gonna shoot me. Let's go. Do that. I will be happy to die."
Despite the juvenile insults Strickled hurled his way, Chimaev insists that none of the trash talk is personal for him. Regardless of how Chimaev feels about everything, the UFC has taken extra precautions to keep the two parties separated until they meet inside the cage Saturday at Prudential Center in Newark.
"Let him come," Chimaev said. "I think they took him to some other hotel... I don't know. I tried to find the guy â and that's not so much personal. The guy just talks too much."
After the fight, Chimaev has no interest in reconciling differences with Strickland. For the champ, it's all about handling business, securing the biggest payday he's had in the UFC to date, and moving on to the next challenge. If Strickland wants to shake hands after the fight or not, Chimaev explained why either outcome makes no difference to him.
"What's the point if I shake hands or not?" Chimaev said. "After the fight, I beat him up, maybe never see him again. Other 15 guys I've already beat, I almost didn't see them again. I don't care about his life, I'm doing my life."
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Khamzat Chimaev welcomes pre-UFC 328 altercation with Sean Strickland
Q&A
What did Sean Strickland threaten Khamzat Chimaev with?
Sean Strickland threatened to shoot Khamzat Chimaev and his team if they crossed paths.
How has Khamzat Chimaev reacted to Strickland's threats?
Khamzat Chimaev welcomed the threat, stating he would be 'happy to die' and emphasized that the trash talk is not personal for him.
What precautions has the UFC taken regarding Chimaev and Strickland?
The UFC has implemented extra precautions to keep Khamzat Chimaev and Sean Strickland separated until their fight at UFC 328.