UFC 328 turned into a Jersey brawl before a single bell rang.
All hell broke loose at Thursday’s press conference when Khamzat Chimaev and firebrand Sean Strickland nearly turned a routine face-off into a street fight.
It was pure candy for UFC fans.
WATCH:
Strickland, not one to hold back on his disdain for opponents or love for his country, was a lit fuse from the jump.
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The proud American blasted the heavy security presence and Chimaev’s character.
“No, it doesn’t make sense when you let a f—ing neanderthal come into this country who can’t keep his s— together for five days,” Strickland barked.
Strickland then mocked Chimaev for refusing to fight in the parking lot.
“I just knew you were a f—ing coward. I knew you had a lack of f—ing dignity. You’re just not a f—ing man, dude,” he added.
Chimaev claimed his focus was purely financial.
“I am here just to make money,” Chimaev said. “I just care about making millions, smashing somebody, being happy and going home.”
He initially dismissed the idea of a pre-fight clash. “I don’t think it’s possible for anything to happen because they won’t let me see this guy,” he claimed earlier in the day.
Dana White proved that prediction wrong.
When asked if the rivals could face off, the UFC boss said, “Absolutely.” As they approached center stage, White pleaded with them to “be good.”
Chimaev looked Strickland in the eye and lied. “I’m not going to touch you,” he promised.
Seconds later, Chimaev launched a kick that sparked a massive melee.
Strickland later took to social media to call the move “exactly what I expected a coward to do.”
Sean also warned fans about Chimaev’s wrestling style. “Who wants to watch this guy go dry hump everybody? You have this no personality, unlikable f—ing dog as a champion,” he said.
Chimaev just wants his rival to make it to the cage.
“I hope he is going to be healthy, no injuries, so, being ready for when I beat him up, he will have no excuse,” Chimaev said.
Saturday cannot come soon enough. The bloodletting finally moves to the Octagon on May 9, 2026, when the main card kicks off at 9 p.m. (ET) at the Prudential Center in Newark.
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