Sean Strickland has never been one to hold his tongue. But even by his standards, his latest words carried a sting that may have gone too far. Fresh off his recent suspension ruling, the former UFC champion fired off a comment on social media that dragged Khamzat Chimaev into the storm.

‘Tarzan,’ who’s been sidelined for his role in a wild in-cage altercation back in June, made it clear that his eyes remain fixed on one target, and he’s willing to take the Nevada Athletic Commission’s deal to get there sooner!

In a recent post on Instagram, Strickland wrote, “Well! Ready to put this to bed and get back in the cage. Can’t have a te**rist as a champion, sadly I think I’m the only one to change that. Appreciate the commission for getting this done.. Anger management here I come….”

For those who missed out, Strickland’s punishment came after he and Chris Curtis stormed the cage at a Tuff-N-Uff event in Nevada. They were cornering teammate Miles Hunsinger when Luis Hernandez celebrated a guillotine win with a crotch chop. The antics set Strickland off. He climbed inside, threw a punch at Hernandez, and chaos followed.

The Nevada Athletic Commission responded with a six-month suspension and a $5,000 fine. But there’s a catch. If Strickland completes an anger management course, the suspension drops to four and a half months, meaning he could return earlier. Curtis, meanwhile, received only a fine and a reprimand for his role.

Commission chairman Dallas Haun even praised Sean Strickland’s willingness to own his actions as he stated, “He apologized for his behavior. We appreciate someone stepping up, owning something, and then a resolution could be come to quickly and with all parties in agreement.”

Yet Strickland’s own comments tell a different story. While he may have agreed to the anger management course, his Instagram post showed that he hasn’t exactly dialed down the fire. Khamzat Chimaev, who recently captured UFC gold, already has plenty of contenders lining up at his door. Still, Strickland’s latest outburst guarantees his name stays in the mix, but what does ‘Borz’ have to say about a clash between the two?

Khamzat Chimaev laughs off “funny guy” Sean Strickland’s constant jabs at him after UFC 319

Sean Strickland may have signed up for anger management, but his focus remains fixed on Khamzat Chimaev. In his eyes, he’s the man to stop the Chechen champion and reclaim a spot in the middleweight title picture. Chimaev, of course, is fresh off seizing the 185-pound strap from Dricus du Plessis. It wasn’t just a win; it was domination.

However, Strickland immediately posted on X after UFC 319, “I’m probably the only one in the UFC that can out grapple that little wh—  for 5 rounds. Well looks like I gotta stack some Ws to fight that little b— lmao.”

Chimaev didn’t let the comments slide, but he didn’t fire back with anger either. Instead, he laughed. At UFC 319’s post-fight press conference, the newly crowned champion reminded fans of their past at the Xtreme Couture gym, “Bro, I take him down many times, how can he take me down? Come on, this guy. I beat him everywhere and striking. This guy just talk too much. So he’s a funny guy. He’s working with that.”

The story doesn’t end there. Strickland has recently been working with Paulo Costa, another of Chimaev’s rivals. That gave ‘Borz’ the perfect opening for a cheeky suggestion as he further stated, “He’s training with ‘Buratino’ or whatever it is. Yeah, Paulo. I [beat] them together.”

As such, Sean Strickland’s suspension may keep him out of the cage for now, but his words ensure he’s still in the fight game’s spotlight. His jabs at Chimaev blur the line between promotion and provocation, while ‘Borz’ brushes them off with laughter and confidence in his dominance. The paths of both men seem destined to collide, yet timing and circumstance may delay the clash!