"They're a bunch of f***ing women" - Sean Strickland is not impressed with how Khamzat Chimaev and Paulo Costa's altercation at the UFC PI went down
Sean Strickland has taken a shot at occasional training partner Khamzat Chimaev and fellow UFC middleweight Paulo Costa after the latter duo's verbal altercation. Leading up to the UFC 279 event last week, Chimaev confronted Costa at the UFC PI (Performance Institute). This was in response to the Brazilian fighter jibing at 'Borz' and notably referring to him as a "fake gangster."
People from both fighters' respective camps kept them away from one another, preventing their verbal back-and-forth from getting physical at the PI. Speaking to Helen Yee Sports, Strickland addressed the altercation and stated:
"Thinking about fighters, they're a bunch of f***ing women. They're a bunch of f***ing women. They run their f***ing mouth. They ask their buddies to hold them back. No one wants to fight. And this is the issue with the modern world. Every time there's f***ing conflict, somebody pulls out a cellphone. And they're like, 'Let me show the world.'"
"So, it's just like, just stop being a bunch of f***ing women. If you've got a problem with a motherf***er, and you really want to fight, and it's mutual, and he really wants to fight; just shut the f**k up, be a man, and let's walk outside and fight."
Paulo Costa and Khamzat Chimaev having an argument at the UFC PI.😳
https://t.co/mE3sBL1DgK
'Tarzan' reiterated that Khamzat Chimaev and Paulo Costa had their respective friends hold them back to avoid fighting one another. Furthermore, he continued to mock 'Borz' and 'The Eraser' and advised them to "handle it like men."
Sean Strickland was set to fight fellow middleweight elite Jared Cannonier at the UFC Fight Night card on October 15. However, 'Tarzan' withdrew from the fight due to a finger infection. The Strickland-Cannonier matchup was rescheduled and will transpire at the UFC Fight Night event on December 17.
Watch Strickland discuss the topic at 2:05 in the video below:
Khamzat Chimaev's coach on his star pupil's altercation with Paulo Costa
The undefeated Khamzat Chimaev dominantly beat Kevin Holland via first-round submission in a 180-pound catchweight matchup at UFC 279 on September 10. 'Borz' was seemingly unperturbed by the Costa altercation. Speaking of which, Chimaev's coach has echoed similar sentiments.
Khamzat Chimaev taps out Kevin Holland in the first round.
#UFC279 https://t.co/9kWjh1Bn5k
In an interview with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour, Khamzat Chimaev's coach Andreas Michael emphasized that 'Borz' is focused on rectifying his weight-cutting issues and capturing the UFC welterweight title. He believes UFC middleweight Paulo Costa is simply looking for a payday against a superstar like 'Borz.' Dismissing a potential Costa matchup, Michael said:
"You know what? I don't even blame Paulo. Paulo's just trying to get a payday. Right now, Khamzat is on everyone's bullseye. He the one who started to made a name, that make waves."
Watch Michael's assessment below: