Andrew Ravens
Sean Strickland is enjoying life as the new UFC middleweight champion, and that has included some lighthearted moments away from the cage. Less than two months after winning the title, Strickland was filmed engaging a fan in a playful grappling exchange on a beach.
He took the fan down face-first into the sand before securing his back and sinking in a standing rear-naked choke to force the tap, a sequence that drew plenty of attention online, given how technically clean the sequence looked despite the casual setting, something you don’t see every day.
The moment is consistent with the persona Strickland has cultivated throughout his UFC run — unpredictable, unfiltered, and seemingly unconcerned with how his off-hours behavior is perceived. Where most champions are careful to keep a curated public image, Strickland has built a following in part because he does not appear to operate that way, and a viral beach submission is the kind of moment that fits naturally into that reputation. It certainly gets folks talking.
While Strickland enjoys his downtime, his next official title defense remains unannounced by the promotion. That has not stopped Khamzat Chimaev from publicly campaigning for an immediate rematch following their split decision at UFC 328, a result that ended Chimaev’s undefeated record and cost him the middleweight title. The fight was competitive throughout, with all three judges scoring it two rounds apiece heading into the fifth before two of them awarded Strickland the final round and the title.
Chimaev took to social media on Monday to press the issue directly, making clear he believes the rematch should happen as soon as possible.
“Accept the fight, don’t run, I’ll beat you anyway,” Chimaev wrote. “The sooner this happens, the easier it will be to breathe.” The tone of the message reflects the genuine frustration Chimaev appears to be carrying since the loss, having gone from being widely regarded as one of the most dominant forces in the division to now needing to climb back into title contention.
