Sean Strickland vs. Khamzat Chimaev already feels like one of the most personal fights on the UFC calendar, and Din Thomas believes the tension could go too far if the trash talk continues. With the two scheduled to headline UFC 328 in Newark, the former fighter-turned-analyst warned that Strickland’s usual trash-talking approach may not be the safest strategy this time.
Speaking on The Bohnfire, Din Thomas stated that Sean Strickland is notorious for saying things that cross the line, but this rivalry may be different because of how Khamzat Chimaev and his crew react.
“Sean’s going to say some crazy, wild stuff, and then he’s going to leave it at that and wait for the fight,” Thomas said. “But you don’t know what Chimaev and his people might do if they’re truly offended.
He went on to add that if emotions are involved, the scenario may become unpredictable. And that’s why the analyst believes Sean Strickland should think carefully before trying to get under Khamzat Chimaev‘s skin, given how intense the undefeated contender already is.
“You can’t trust what he’s going to do,” Din Thomas said. “He might have some goons with him.
If I’m Sean, I’m going to put on a show, but I’m also not going to let it get too far.” The warning comes after Dana White already hinted that extra security could be needed during fight week because of the bad blood between the two.
According to Thomas, ‘Tarzan’ could be better off focusing on the fight itself rather than trying to make the rivalry more personal.
“He might got some goons with him that just, just like, ‘Yo, I don’t, I don’t care,’” he added. “‘Like, we’re gonna show up to Jersey and we’re gonna do what we gotta do, because I don’t care.’
“So if I’m showing, you know, I’m gonna put on the show, but also, I’m not gonna let it get too far. You gotta be careful with that.”
With both fighters known for their aggressive personalities, the buildup to UFC 328 is set to be heated regardless. However, Din Thomas worries that if Sean Strickland goes too far, the drama could go beyond promotion and turn into something much more difficult to handle. Maybe that’s why even Joe Rogan has come forward and warned the UFC against one thing ahead of UFC 328.
Joe Rogan warns the UFC against doing a pre-fight face-off between Khamzat Chimaev and Sean Strickland
Din Thomas isn’t the only one concerned about how far things could go before UFC 328. Recently, Joe Rogan also spoke about the rivalry and stated that the UFC should be cautious about how it handles the promotion, particularly when it comes to putting Sean Strickland and Khamzat Chimaev face-to-face before the fight.
Speaking on his Fight Companion, the UFC commentator said the promotion should avoid the new pre-fight face-off segment because of the tension between the two.
“That’s a great fight,” Rogan said. “No, you can’t do it (the pre-fight face-offs); yeah, you can’t do that.
“(Strickland) called (Chimaev) a goat f—–.”
He emphasized that the rivalry is already heated enough without forcing extra confrontation. Joe Rogan said that the fight sells itself, and bringing them too close before the fight could create problems. With both Sean Strickland and Khamzat Chimaev consistently criticizing each other in the media, he believes that keeping distance until fight night is the best way for the UFC to handle the situation.