Imavov mocks his Strickland obsession in therapy skit as title shot looms

Nassourdine Imavov is making no secret of his desire to settle the score with Sean Strickland, posting a self-deprecating comedy skit on social media in which he plays a fighter desperately pretending he has moved on from a 2023 UFC loss — while simultaneously texting the middleweight champion coffin emojis.

In the clip, a therapist asks Imavov whether he is still haunted by the defeat: “Are you okay, Nassourdine? It’s still him? Another bad dream recently?” Imavov insists he is fine, citing fishing trips and yoga as proof of his mental wellbeing. The joke lands when the camera reveals he is secretly messaging Strickland throughout the session, sending nothing but coffin emojis, and refusing to reveal who is on the other end of the phone. The skit ends abruptly when Imavov spots a report suggesting Strickland has been injured and bolts from the room.

The video arrives at a moment when a rematch has genuine sporting weight behind it. Imavov (17-4) has won a string of high-profile bouts since that defeat to build himself into the UFC’s ranked No. 1 middleweight contender. Strickland (30-7), meanwhile, has just reclaimed the 185-pound title for the second time, dethroning Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 328 — and has publicly acknowledged Imavov as the next fighter in line for a shot.

The skit is a rare piece of self-aware fighter content that doubles as a pointed message. By playing the role of a man who cannot stop thinking about Strickland no matter how hard he tries, Imavov frames the rematch as unfinished business without resorting to the standard pre-fight trash talk. The coffin emojis do the threatening for him.

Whether the injury report Imavov reacts to in the video reflects anything real remains unclear, but with both fighters’ camps apparently aligned on the matchup, the French contender appears to be keeping the pressure on in his own distinctly unconventional way.