Sean Strickland and Nassourdine Imavov have exchanged words following the events of UFC Houston.
Strickland hadn’t been inside the Octagon since falling short in his title rematch with Dricus du Plessis. While some expected Anthony Hernandez to make a big statement at the expense of Strickland, it was the former 185-pound champion who pulled off a dominant performance. Strickland dug into Hernandez’s body with a knee and eventually finished the fight with strikes in the third round.
After the fight, Imavov took to X to call Strickland a “clown” and suggested they share the Octagon again. Back in Jan. 2023, Strickland defeated Imavov via unanimous decision.
Speaking to Full Send MMA, Strickland fired back at Imavov, reminding him of the result from their first meeting.
“Listen dude, I’ve moved past you,” Strickland said. “I’ve beat you, relax. Either you get the belt or I get the belt. Once you get the belt, I’ll take it from you. Once I get the belt, you’ll lose to me.”
Imavov wasn’t done, as he claimed a rematch with Strickland would play out quite differently.
“Waste of time,” Imavov wrote. “He’d get tapped fast. I’m next for the belt.”
Prior to Strickland’s victory this past Saturday, Imavov was a popular name circulating for title contention. Many now believe that Strickland’s performance should earn him a shot at Khamzat Chimaev’s UFC Middleweight Championship. Chimaev hasn’t competed inside the Octagon since winning the 185-pound title against du Plessis back in Aug. 2025.
Since the loss to Strickland, Imavov has gone 5-0, 1 NC in his last six outings. He’s beaten Israel Adesanya, Caio Borralho, Brendan Allen, Jared Cannonier, and Roman Dolidze in his current stretch.
If a rematch between Sean Strickland and Nassourdine Imavov gets booked, who do you think would win this time? Join the chat in the comment section below.