Strickland says pay is the only hurdle left before Imavov UFC middleweight title fight

Sean Strickland says his next UFC middleweight title defence against Nassourdine Imavov is almost finalised, with pay negotiations the only outstanding issue preventing an official announcement.

“We’re discussing pay now,” Strickland wrote on Twitter. “Once that detail is squared, its locked in. The issue is no one cares about the fake Frenchman. We’re almost there.”

The UFC has not publicly confirmed Imavov as the next challenger, but Strickland’s comments suggest the matchup is effectively agreed in principle. Imavov (17-4) earned his shot at the belt by winning five consecutive UFC bouts, most recently defeating former champion Israel Adesanya and top contender Caio Borralho in 2025. He had a dominant 2024 campaign, stopping Roman Dolidze, Jared Cannonier and Brendan Allen within a seven-month stretch.

Strickland (31-7) reclaimed the middleweight title in May with a split-decision upset of Khamzat Chimaev — a result that came less than three months after he knocked out Anthony Hernandez to rebuild momentum following his title loss to Dricus Du Plessis. The win over Chimaev marked Strickland’s second reign as champion and reinforced his standing as one of the division’s most unpredictable figures.

Imavov, who fights out of France despite Strickland’s pointed jab at his nationality, enters the potential title fight on the back of the best form of his career. His back-to-back wins over Adesanya and Borralho in 2025 make a compelling case for the challenge, even if Strickland remains sceptical about his marquee value.

With pay talks described as the final sticking point, an official announcement from the UFC could follow in the near term.