Overview
- Strickland, speaking Wednesday at media workouts, said he would pull a gun and shoot Chimaev or members of his group if they tried to jump him.
- UFC CEO Dana White said security will be beefed up in Newark, with a planned Paramount faceoff scrapped and the fighters assigned to separate hotels.
- Chimaev and coach Alan Nascimento dismissed the remarks as nonsense, saying the champion laughed at the clip and stayed focused on training.
- The middleweight title bout is set for May 9 at the Prudential Center in Newark, marking Chimaev’s first defense against former champion Strickland.
- Betting markets list Chimaev as a clear favorite, with implied odds reported near 80% for the champion to retain.