“You’re better than everybody” - When UFC champion Sean Strickland requested that Khamzat Chimaev not “hurt people” after sparring together

Sean Strickland is notorious for going all out during sparring sessions. It seems Khamzat Chimaev isn't too different from the middleweight champion in this regard.

When 'Tarzan' trained at Xtreme Couture gym in Las Vegas in 2022, the 32-year-old was forced to be the voice of reason after seeing Chimaev steamrolling his sparring partners.

In a video originally taken by filmmaker Youcef Hollywood, the middleweight champion can be seen asking the Chechen-born fighter to take it easy on his sparring partners:

"Have you sparred him? He gets a little bit [raises hand]. He gets a little bit. Be nice. You’re better than most of, you’re better than everybody. So just don’t hurt people."

Catch Sean Strickland's comments below:

Seeing as Strickland usually gets flak for going too hard during sparring sessions, one can only imagine what 'Borz' must've done to cause concern to even 'Tarzan'. He is scheduled to make his first title defense against Dricus du Plessis on Jan. 20 at UFC 297 in Ontario, Canada.

'Tarzan' is undefeated since 2023 and boasts a professional MMA record of 28-5. In his most recent fight at UFC 293, the 32-year-old outclassed Israel Adesanya via unanimous decision to claim the middleweight title.

Meanwhile, it is unclear when Chimaev will step back into the octagon, given his ongoing struggles with health issues. He holds an undefeated record of 13-0, with his most recent win coming against former pound-for-pound king Kamaru Usman at UFC 294.

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Sean Strickland credits Khamzat Chimaev for being respectful

It seems there is a bit more to Sean Strickland's sparring story with Khamzat Chimaev. After 'Tarzan' asked him to take it easy, Chimaev complied and did just that.

During a 2022 interview with The Schmo, Strickland credited 'Borz' for being respectful to his teammates during sparring:

"He was sparring with my buddy. [A] 155-er, who moved up to 170, [a] lower-level pro, and I was just telling Chimaev, 'I know you like to f*****g smash, but if you've got to spar him, you've got to respect him because he is here to help you.'"

Strickland added:

"He understood, and he had a good sparring... Chimaev, he was solid, and he was respectful. He worked with him and had good training with him."

Catch Sean Strickland's comments below (4:50):