Imavov offers Strickland $500K of his own money and calls for UFC to strip him

Nassourdine Imavov has taken the extraordinary step of offering Sean Strickland $500,000 of his own money to force through their UFC middleweight title rematch, and has called on the promotion to strip the champion if negotiations remain deadlocked.

The French contender made the pledge publicly on X after reports emerged that Strickland is demanding $1 million to fight at UFC 336 in January, while the UFC is reportedly offering $400,000 to show and $400,000 to win. Strickland himself acknowledged last month that the rematch was close to being finalised, with only the financial terms outstanding.

“If it’s really about money, I’ll put $500K of my own money on the line if you beat me in January [Sean Strickland], putting this on record,” Imavov wrote. “If you still don’t take it, then you’re just scared. I’ll handle you outside. UFC, THIS is your champ? Come on, STRIP HIM.”

Imavov had been pencilled in to challenge Strickland for the 185-pound title at UFC 335 on 12 December in Las Vegas, but the bout was dropped from the card when the event’s headliner was announced during the UFC 332 broadcast. UFC 335 will now be topped by a BMF title fight between Charles Oliveira and Diego Lopes — a bout that had originally been rumoured as the co-main event beneath the middleweight championship rematch.

The delay pushes Imavov’s first UFC title shot to 2027 at the earliest. Strickland is one of only two middleweights to have defeated Imavov inside the promotion, giving the challenger a personal as well as professional stake in securing the fight. Whether the $500,000 sweetener is enough to bridge the gap between Strickland’s reported demands and the UFC’s current offer remains to be seen.