Sean Strickland responds to Nassourdine Imavov | MMA News
Former middleweight champion Sean Strickland bought back in the win column on Saturday, defeating rising star Anthony Hernandez in the UFC Houston main event.
Strickland entered the bout ranked No. 3 in the division. Following the win, he was called out by a acquainted foe, No. 2 ranked Nassourdine Imavov. “My dream. Bring me tha clown for the crown,” Imavov wrote on X.
My dream. Bring me tha clown for the crown @ufc #UFCHouston
— Imavov Nassourdine (@imavov1) February 22, 2026
Strickland holds a win over Imavov. The two fought in the UFC Vegas 67 main event in January 2023. Strickland earned a clear-cut unanimous resolution win over “The Sniper” and does not seem to be open to rematching the Russian.
“Listen dude, I’ve moved past you. I’ve beat you. Relax,” said Strickland to Full Send MMA backstage at Toyota Center. “Either you get the belt or I get the belt. Once you get the belt, I’ll take it from you. Once I get the belt, you’ll lose to me.”
Undefeated Khamzat Chimaev holds the UFC 185-pound championship. He and Strickland where once training companions but have grow to be bitter rivals. Whether a end over Hernandez earned the previous champion a title battle stays to be seen.
Imavov is presently using a five-fight successful streak. He sits second in the rankings behind former titleholder Dricus du Plessis.
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