In recent days, one of the most heated rivalries in the UFC has been between Khamzat Chimaev and Sean Strickland. Their feud has escalated, with both fighters taking personal shots at each other, targeting religion, past trauma, and more. Now, Chimaev has added a new twist by using an AI-generated image to mock Strickland ahead of his UFC 312 fight against Dricus Du Plessis. The Chechen fighter has joined the trend of using AI edits to take digs at opponents.
On X, Chimaev posted an AI-generated image of himself dressed as an Arabian king, while Strickland appeared as a common man from ancient times, bowing and kissing his hand. The post was clearly meant to mock Strickland, adding another layer to their already intense rivalry.
— Khamzat Chimaev (@KChimaev) February 8, 2025
This is the same approach Paulo Costa and Ikram Aliskerov used to escalate their rivalry, and now Chimaev has jumped on the trend. So far, Strickland hasn’t responded, but given the intensity of their feud, a fight between them seems inevitable. Whether it will be for a title or not depends on how Strickland performs at UFC 312.
Sean Strickland Calls Khamzat Chimaev A Bully
In a recent conversation with Daniel Cormier, Strickland intensified his criticism of Khamzat Chimaev. He claimed that Chimaev is currently in Saudi Arabia to avoid visa issues in the US. Strickland also labeled him a bully and brought up past controversies, including a crypto scam, questioning his character and integrity. He suggested that Chimaev lacks dignity and implied that his associations and actions reflect poorly on him.
This isn’t the first time Strickland has criticized the Chechen fighter. He has repeatedly called him out for his connections with alleged dictators. With both fighters taking personal shots at each other, their rivalry has only escalated. Now, the big question is whether they will eventually settle their differences inside the UFC octagon.
