Khamzat Chimaev offers Sean Strickland $1 million to ‘send me location’

Khamzat Chimaev has escalated his pursuit of a rematch with Sean Strickland by offering the UFC middleweight champion $1 million to fight him outside the octagon. In a social media post on Monday, Chimaev, using slang, told Strickland: "I will pay you 1 [million dollars]. Send me location and let's fight, don't care outside inside the cage."

Strickland claimed the 185-pound title in May at UFC 328, winning a split decision over Chimaev in the main event. The loss marked the first of Chimaev's professional career, and since then the Swedish fighter has been vocal about wanting another shot at his conqueror. However, the UFC appears to have other plans: Nassourdine Imavov is reportedly next in line for a middleweight title shot, leaving Chimaev facing a lengthy wait if he pursues the traditional championship route.

Rather than play the ranking game, Chimaev is now proposing a direct settlement with Strickland outside UFC jurisdiction entirely. The two fighters shared a heated buildup to their UFC 328 encounter before seemingly reconciling after the bout, but have since traded barbs through the media once again. Strickland has not yet responded to Chimaev's latest proposal, though given their contentious history, a reply appears inevitable. Whether Strickland will take the bait—and the million dollars—remains to be seen.