The heated rivalry between UFC middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev and former titleholder Sean Strickland reached a new boiling point following Strickland's dominant victory at UFC Houston, with both fighters trading vicious insults and revisiting their controversial training history.

After stopping Anthony Hernandez via third-round TKO at Toyota Center in Houston, Texas, Strickland wasted no time directing his post-fight venom toward the reigning middleweight champion. In his cage interview, the former champion made his intentions crystal clear with a particularly inflammatory callout.

"If Chimaev gets off the bench. I'd like to piece that little Chechen whore," Strickland declared to the Houston crowd. "You never know with him. You never know with that guy, but that's what I want."

The verbal assault didn't go unanswered. Chimaev quickly responded on social media with his own pointed retort, employing MMA math to highlight his superiority over Strickland.

"Habibi calm down, I destroyed the guy who beat you twice," Chimaev wrote on Twitter. "American b-tch."

The champion's response referenced his dominant unanimous decision victory over Dricus du Plessis in August 2025 to capture the UFC middleweight title. Du Plessis had previously defeated Strickland in back-to-back fights, giving Chimaev's trash talk a mathematical foundation that resonates in MMA circles.

Training Camp Controversy Reignites

The bad blood between these fighters extends far beyond rankings and title shots, rooted in their shared training history at Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas. Both men have offered conflicting accounts of their sparring sessions, with each claiming dominance over the other.

Chimaev recently stated in an interview that Strickland doesn't like him because he made the American tap out during their training together. However, Strickland vehemently disputed this account at the UFC Houston post-fight media scrum, painting a completely different picture of their gym encounters.

"I made him quit training," Strickland insisted, calling for witnesses to back up his version of events. "Witnesses in the audience, where's [coach] Eric [Nicksick] at? I made him quit. No, we were doing positional grappling... 'Alright, start on my back' and I was like, first round, I let him fcking choke me because no one gives a fck."

Strickland went further, characterizing Chimaev as a gym bully who deliberately avoided challenging training partners.

"Let me tell you about this little btch," Strickland said. "When I walk into a gym, do you think that I go find the little, weakest man, I say, 'Let's spar?' I go find the biggest, baddest motherfcker and I'm like, 'Hey, I want to spar you.' Every time Chimaev would walk in the gym, he would pick the smallest, lowest level pro and say, 'But oh, he looks like my opponent.'... He would pick the smallest guy. Chimaev's a f*cking bully."

Title Defense Delays Fuel Criticism

Strickland's criticism extends beyond their personal history to Chimaev's championship reign. The undefeated champion has yet to book his first title defense since capturing the belt from du Plessis, leading to speculation about his commitment to the middleweight division.

In a pre-fight interview with Newsweek Sports, Strickland questioned Chimaev's dedication, suggesting the champion was more focused on potential superfights with Alex Pereira than defending his title.

"He always does that [expletive], dude," Strickland said. "He probably thinks it's going to be a hard fight, and he probably thinks, 'I don't want to do it. It's a hard fight.' Every [expletive] fight the guy fights, he's injured. Every fight. You wanna see the break on my shoulder? I'll show you the X-ray. Every fight this guy, he has some mysterious [expletive] injury."

Adding fuel to the fire are recent rumors suggesting Chimaev might move up to light heavyweight to face Jiri Prochazka for an interim title, with current champion Alex Pereira potentially moving to heavyweight. While these rumors remain unsubstantiated, they've given Strickland additional ammunition for his attacks.

"And if you notice what he does in a division, he just runs and fcking hides," Strickland continued. "Now I want to go to 205 and fight fcking Jiri [Prochazka], who's not even the fcking champ. You just run and fcking hide. You did it when you trained with us, and you're doing it in the f*cking division."

Strickland's Path Back to Contention

With his impressive finish of Hernandez at UFC Houston – his first stoppage victory in nearly three years – Strickland has positioned himself back into title contention. The victory over Hernandez, who was considered a dark horse in the middleweight division, demonstrated that the former champion remains a legitimate threat at 185 pounds.

Strickland's recent resume includes a short-notice victory over Nassourdine Imavov in 2023, further solidifying his case for another title shot. However, his path back to championship gold may be complicated by controversial comments made during UFC Houston media day earlier in the week, which could influence the UFC's decision-making process.

What's Next for the Rivalry

The animosity between Strickland and Chimaev shows no signs of cooling, with both fighters seemingly eager to settle their differences inside the octagon. A potential title fight between the two would carry significant commercial appeal, combining legitimate championship implications with genuine personal animosity.

For Chimaev, facing Strickland would represent an opportunity to silence one of his most vocal critics while making his first title defense against a former champion. The fight would also allow him to prove his commitment to the middleweight division amid speculation about potential moves to light heavyweight.

For Strickland, a victory over Chimaev would not only reclaim his championship but also validate his claims about their training sessions and the champion's character. The former titleholder has consistently positioned himself as the division's most active and willing fighter, contrasting himself with what he perceives as Chimaev's evasive behavior.

The UFC has yet to announce any official plans for Chimaev's first title defense, but the heated exchange following UFC Houston has certainly added urgency to booking a fight between these bitter rivals. With both men healthy and eager to fight, a spring or summer showdown could be on the horizon.

As the war of words continues to escalate, one thing remains certain: when these two finally meet inside the octagon, years of built-up animosity will explode in what promises to be one of the most emotionally charged title fights in recent memory. The only question now is whether the UFC will give fans the grudge match they're demanding.