Nassourdine Imavov Confronts Sean Strickland at UFC PI Over Unsigned Title Fight
Nassourdine Imavov tracked down middleweight champ Sean Strickland at the UFC Performance Institute, demanding he sign the contract.
The Sean Strickland pay saga just got a physical chapter. Nassourdine Imavov confronted the UFC middleweight champion as he was leaving the UFC Performance Institute in Las Vegas on Wednesday, pressing him about the unsigned title fight contract.
Video posted by Championship Rounds showed Imavov questioning Strickland directly: "What is your problem? You not sign contract?" When Strickland appeared reluctant to engage, Imavov kept pushing: "Money? I have money. I give." Security eventually stepped in as tensions escalated, with a UFC staff member trying to calm Imavov down while Strickland walked away.
The confrontation comes as Strickland continues a public meltdown over fighter pay. The middleweight champion posted on X that his "heart is not in MMA any more," threatened to "nuke" his UFC contract, and floated moving to light heavyweight to fight out his deal before scrapping with Jake Paul. He compared his pay unfavorably to Conor McGregor, per Sherdog, saying the UFC won't pay fighters "a fraction" of McGregor's alleged $30 million payday.
Strickland said in September that a title defense against Imavov was close to being finalized, with purse negotiations the final hurdle. The bout was initially discussed for UFC 335 on December 12 in Las Vegas, but the UFC instead booked a BMF title fight between Charles Oliveira and Diego Lopes for the headliner.
Imavov (17-4) has won four straight, including a TKO of Brendan Allen and a decision over Jared Cannonier. Whether this confrontation lights a fire under negotiations or pushes Strickland further toward the exit remains to be seen.
I live a few miles from the PI, and stuff like this is why I love this town. Imavov did exactly what a hungry contender should do: got in the champ's face and made it personal. Strickland has been doing more posting than fighting lately, and someone needed to call the bluff.
Look, I get the pay argument. Strickland is the middleweight champion and deserves to be paid like one. But threatening to vacate and fight Jake Paul is not leverage, it's a tantrum. The UFC has shown over and over that no fighter is bigger than the belt. Ask Francis Ngannou how that negotiation ended.
The Imavov fight is the right one. Both guys are in Vegas, both want it, and 185 needs an active champion. Strickland should sign the contract, put on a show, and let the performance drive the next payday. The longer he sits out, the more the division moves on without him.
