"If you're fighting him, it has to be to the death" - Sean Strickland recounts sparring with Khamzat Chimaev
UFC middleweight Sean Strickland is set to take on Uriah Hall this weekend in the main event of UFC Vegas 33.
As a part of Strickland's training camp for this pivotal fight in his career, he put in a few rounds with rising welterweight and middleweight prospect Khamzat Chimaev.
Chimaev was one of the UFC's breakout stars of 2020. 'Borz' dispatched three opponents with apparent ease, leading to a shot against top-ranked welterweight contender Leon Edwards.
The fight eventually fell through after both men contracted Covid-19, but Chimaev is now set to compete against Li Jingliang later this year.
In a recent interview with James Lynch, Sean Stickland discussed the experiences he had with Chimaev when the two men sparred with each other.
Strickland is known for bringing a fiery personality inside the gym and it appears that Chimaev was able to match his intensity.
"He was in town for a few weeks," stated Sean Strickland. "He was fun. We had good f***ing wars. He's the kind of guy that, as a training partner, he fits the bill for me. He doesn't stop, he trains f***ing hard."
Sean Strickland on Khamzat Chimaev's mentality
Sean Strickland went on to discuss why Chimaev has been so successful in such a short period of time.
According to Strickland, it's primarily down to his mentality. He said Chimaev is willing to fight to the death every time he steps into the UFC octagon. If the Chechen's opponents do not have the same mentality, Strickland does not believe it will end well for them.
"He's another guy that, if your fighting him, it has to be to the death. You can't go in there thinking, I'm gonna point fight you and win. No you have to go in there like 'one of us is going to f***ing die'. If you don't have that mindset he's going to f***ing steamroll you," said Sean Strickland.
Both Sean Strickland and Khamzat Chimaev have fights in the near future. But with both men having competed at welterweight and middleweight over the course of their careers, there is a chance that we may one day see their training sessions play out under the bright lights of the UFC.