Sean Strickland is no stranger to controversy. From his social media presence to his press conference appearances, whenever ‘Tarzan’ speaks, fans tune in. But ahead of his UFC 312 clash against Dricus Du Plessis, he took aim at a target that wasn’t just another rival. It was Khamzat Chimaev, a man he had once trained with under the ‘Xtreme Couture’ gym’s roof.

At first glance, it’s easy to chalk this up to fight promotion. After all, Dana White has made it clear—‘Borz’ is next in line for a title shot. If Strickland had defeated Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 312, a showdown between him and Chimaev would’ve been inevitable. But is that all there is to it? According to Erick Nicksick, a man who knows both fighters well, there might be more to the story.

Sean Strickland’s logic behind the Khamzat Chimaev feud explained

During a recent interview with ‘Submission Radio’ Eric Nicksick was asked to share his thoughts on the rivalry between Sean Strickland and Khamzat Chimaev. The ‘Xtreme Couture’ head coach confessed, “In a lot of ways, I get it, because if that’s the fight they’re going to make, if Sean wins, then you’re trying to build this next thing and the next rivalry, if you will.”

Yet, even so, it’s not often that you see two former teammates fire off at each other with such venom. Strickland fired his latest shots at UFC 312’s media day, launching into an unprompted tirade against Chimaev. He dismissed Chimaev’s credentials, questioned his history, and threw out accusations of ‘Borz’ ‘scamming’ his fans with Bitcoin.

Chimaev, never one to take an insult lightly, then hit back on social media. He mocked Strickland for his troubled past, turning personal wounds into verbal ammunition. As such, when Nicksick was pressed on whether all this was purely promotion, his response suggested there’s more beneath the surface.

According to him, “I don’t know man, like these guys got along just fine in the gym, right. Like, so I know Khamzat, you know, threw some strays at Sean a while back. And then it’s kind of been going back and forth and one of those things man.”

So did Chimaev kick off the war of words? It’s hard to say. But Nicksick further shared, “But you know, you’re kind of building this rivalry if you will, and if they end up fighting, there’s bad blood there, it’s only going to make for more views.”

Despite the hostility, the path ahead seems clear. Khamzat Chimaev is the next middleweight title contender, and whether Sean Strickland likes it or not, their feud isn’t going away anytime soon. If Strickland had won at UFC 312, this fight might have been a guarantee. But with Dricus Du Plessis holding on to the middleweight crown, the landscape has shifted.

‘Stillknocks’ takes aim at Chimaev after ‘Borz’ dismisses UFC 312 title fight

Dricus Du Plessis has never been one to mince his words. And after his dominant win over Sean Strickland at UFC 312, he had plenty to say—especially when Khamzat Chimaev dismissed the fight as “bull—.”

“Stillknocks”, fresh off a 5-round domination of Sean Strickland wasn’t about to let Chimaev get away with it. In an interview with ‘Full Send MMA’ he fired back with, “I hope we can make it happen at International Fight Week. When his tweets make sense, it’s his agent, and when it’s random English words, it’s him. He called it a bull— fight; well, try and get to a fight.”

‘Borz’s struggles with his health and making it to the Octagon are a familiar saga for fight fans. But that wasn’t all. The middleweight king stated, “He couldn’t get the welterweight title. Definitely not getting the Middleweight title. Talk about a waste of potential.”

So, it looks like we’ll have to wait for the resolution of the Strickland vs Chimaev feud for a bit longer now. ‘Borz’ remains the next in line for a title shot, but Strickland, fresh off a brutal loss, finds himself in limbo. That doesn’t mean their feud ends here. If anything, it might just be getting started. What do you think? Will the two former Xtreme Couture teammates ever settle their differences inside the Octagon? Let us know in the comments below!