MMA coach Eric Nicksick recently offered insight into the rivalry between former UFC champion Sean Strickland and star Khamzat Chimaev. Despite their heated trash-talking exchanges outside the octagon, Nicksick emphasized that the two fighters shared a respectful dynamic when training together in the gym.
Khamzat Chimaev and Sean Strickland Training Together
Strickland, who will look to reclaim his middleweight title at UFC 312 against Dricus du Plessis, has been vocal about his rivalry with Chimaev. Chimaev, a dominant force in the division, has made no secret of his desire for a title shot, which has fueled the tension between the two. Strickland brought up his ties to Ramzan Kadyrov and claims Khamzat Chimaev is a fake Muslim.
“They’re probably messaging each other, telling, you know, what they’re going to say next. Who knows?” Nicksick commented in an interview with Submission Radio, “But yeah, they seem like they got along just fine when they were training at the gym.”
The trash talk, which has included public jabs from both sides, seems to be a way to build the hype for their potential future showdown. According to Nicksick, however, their gym interactions were far from hostile.
“I loved having Khamzat in the gym. I loved having Darren Till in the gym,” Nicksick continued. “They elevated the game. Maybe you have to kind of build that bad blood amongst one another to go out and fight. But, you know, as far as I saw, when they were training together, everything was good.”
Sean Strickland will look to avenge his split-decision loss to du Plessis from UFC 297, while Khamzat Chimaev continues to make waves in the division, believing that he deserves his own shot at the title. Fans eagerly await whether their rivalry will reach its boiling point inside the octagon or remain a war of words for the time being.