Sean Strickland Says Imavov Title Fight Is Almost Done, Pay Is the Holdup
Sean Strickland confirms Nassourdine Imavov as his next challenger but says pay negotiations are the final hurdle.
Sean Strickland has named Nassourdine Imavov as his next middleweight title challenger, but the fight is not official yet. The holdup is money.
Strickland told fans the bout is close to being finalized. "We're discussing pay now," he said. "Once that detail is squared, it's locked in." The two-time champion made clear he has agreed to the matchup and is waiting on the UFC to meet his financial terms before anything is signed.
The proposed rematch has been linked to UFC 335 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on December 12, per LowKick MMA, though neither the promotion nor the fighters have confirmed the date. If the fight lands there, it would cap a loaded year-end card in the fight capital.
Strickland reclaimed the 185-pound belt from Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 328 in May, a fight that drew massive pay-per-view numbers. That financial success is almost certainly driving his leverage in these negotiations.
Imavov has won five straight since losing to Strickland by unanimous decision in January 2023. The Frenchman has looked like a different fighter in that run, earning his way to the front of a thin contender line at middleweight.
The first fight was competitive but clear on the scorecards. Three years and five wins later, Imavov presents a much more dangerous puzzle the second time around.
I'll believe this fight is real when the bout agreement has ink on it. Strickland earned his leverage by beating Chimaev in one of the biggest UFC events of the year, and he's smart enough to cash in on it. Can't blame the guy.
But the UFC has a habit of letting these pay disputes drag out until the next contender gets hot and the whole picture changes. Middleweight is thin enough that Imavov is the clear pick, and Strickland knows it. There's nobody else to threaten him with.
I think the fight gets done for December. Strickland wants to fight, the UFC wants that PPV money, and Imavov is the only credible opponent. The real question is whether the rematch version of Imavov, the one riding five straight wins, can do what the 2023 version couldn't. I think he makes it a lot harder this time. But Strickland in a title fight at T-Mobile, in front of a Vegas crowd that loves him? That's a dangerous man to bet against.
