Overview
- Chimaev, who on Tuesday released a 26‑second sparring clip captioned “I am bullying weak people,” showed only brief striking exchanges with Strickland.
- The footage drew pushback from many fans for revealing little and did not settle the rivals’ clashing accounts of how their past training went.
- In response to escalating talk, the UFC canceled a planned faceoff, boosted security, and placed the two teams in separate hotels for fight week.
- Chimaev brushed off Strickland’s gun threat at a media scrum, saying “Do that. I will be happy to die,” and said the added security was not for him.
- Betting markets have Chimaev a clear favorite for Saturday’s title bout in Newark, and he has hinted this could be his final fight at middleweight before moving up.