Sean Brady: Strickland and Chimaev 'have to keep the same energy forever'

3 min read
Sean Brady: Strickland and Chimaev 'have to keep the same energy forever'

Sean Brady: Strickland and Chimaev 'have to keep the same energy forever'

Sean Brady is not a fan of Sean Strickland and Khamzat Chimaev hugging it out after UFC 328.

Sean Brady: Strickland and Chimaev 'have to keep the same energy forever'

Sean Brady is not a fan of Sean Strickland and Khamzat Chimaev hugging it out after UFC 328.

Sean Brady isn't buying the post-fight lovefest between Sean Strickland and Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 328—and he's calling them out for it.

The welterweight contender watched the middleweight title fight at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., where Strickland (31-7 MMA, 18-7 UFC) pulled off a stunning split decision upset over Chimaev (15-1 MMA, 9-1 UFC). But what happened after the final bell left a sour taste in Brady's mouth.

Leading up to the bout, the trash talk was fierce, with Strickland taking personal shots at Chimaev's religion and family. Yet once the fight ended, the two rivals embraced, with Chimaev wrapping the belt around Strickland's waist and even telling him "I love you" between rounds. Strickland, in turn, apologized for his pre-fight comments.

"If you're talking about my mom, my children, my religion, I'm fighting you if I see you in the parking lot," Brady said on "The Ariel Helwani Show." "Wherever I see you, it's going to be like Peter Griffin and the rooster in Family Guy—they're always fighting. You can't talk about people that way and then be all buddy-buddy. I don't like that."

Brady, known for his no-nonsense approach in the Octagon, took issue with the sudden camaraderie, comparing it to the legendary Conor McGregor vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov feud where lines were crossed and never uncrossed.

"There are certain lines you don't cross," Brady continued. "And when you do, there are consequences. I'm a fan of both Khamzat and Strickland, but once they started dapping each other up in the cage, I thought, 'You guys did all that trash talk, all that security, for this?' The fight was good, but it wasn't what we expected. I was let down. People would've tuned in anyway. If you're going to say all those things, you've got to keep the same energy forever."

Despite the post-fight hug, Chimaev's team told ESPN MMA that the Swedish-born fighter is now "obsessed" with a rematch, signaling that this rivalry might not be over just yet—even if Brady wishes they'd kept the fire burning.

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