Khamzat Chimaev Offers Sean Strickland One Million for UFC Rematch
Khamzat Chimaev offered Sean Strickland a million dollars of his own money for a title rematch.
The bidding war for Sean Strickland's next fight just escalated. Khamzat Chimaev has publicly offered the UFC middleweight champion one million dollars of his own money to secure a rematch, doubling the $500,000 Nassourdine Imavov put on the table days earlier, per Sherdog.
"Strickland I will pay you 1 Send me location and let's fight don't care outside inside," Chimaev wrote on social media.
The offer stems from the ongoing saga around Strickland's title defense. The champion (31-7) has been vocal about not getting paid enough by the UFC, reportedly being offered $400,000 to show and $400,000 to win. That dispute has stalled his next fight, with a title defense against Imavov nearly finalized but pushed to 2027 rather than appearing on December's UFC 335 card.
Chimaev (15-1) has personal motivation driving the offer. He lost to Strickland by split decision at UFC 328 in May, his first professional defeat. That loss clearly still eats at him, and he wants the chance to avenge it.
Between Imavov's $500,000 and now Chimaev's million, there are multiple contenders literally willing to pay for the privilege of fighting the champ. It is an unusual situation that highlights the strange economics of the UFC's pay structure.
Fighters offering other fighters their own money to make a fight happen. That is where we are with the UFC pay structure right now. Imavov threw out half a million, Chimaev doubled it to a million, and Strickland is still sitting at home because the UFC will not pay him what he thinks he is worth.
The Chimaev angle is personal. He lost that split decision and clearly thinks he won. Getting that rematch means everything to him, and a million bucks out of pocket tells you exactly how badly he wants it.
But this is not how the sport should work. Champions should not need side payments from challengers to defend their belts. The UFC prints money. Pay the man and book the fight.
