Sean Strickland has never been one to mince words, and his latest target is UFC heavyweight Josh Hokit. The former middleweight champion appreciates Hokit as a person, but he's had enough of what he calls a "fabricated image."

Hokit (9-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC) has been making waves with a dual-personality act that many fans have labeled cringe-worthy. But after his impressive victory over Curtis Blaydes at UFC 327—a performance that earned him double bonuses—his stock has never been higher. So high, in fact, that President Trump requested him for the UFC Freedom 250 White House card against Derrick Lewis.

Strickland (30-7 MMA, 17-7 UFC), who's gearing up for his own title fight this Saturday, shared his honest thoughts during a recent media session. "It's like, Josh Hokit, dude, you're a grown-ass man," Strickland said. "You're like almost 30 years old, and you're acting like Jake Paul when he was 13. Stop, bro. You made it. People know who you are. Just stop. You don't got to go interview homeless people and be weird. Just fight now."

Despite the criticism, Strickland made it clear this isn't personal. "I've met Josh, and I've trained with Josh. He's actually a really likable guy. He's come to the gym. He's a really nice guy, and I consider him a friend of mine. But at some point, dude, it's such a fabricated image. It reminds me of a WWE skit that I just want to die."

Hokit didn't take the comments lying down, firing back on social media: "Let's fight… I'll show you the difference between me and Jake Paul… Shawn Strickland, complaining about a persona is like a circus clown complaining about too many balloons. You're just mad because my WWE skit has better ratings than your personality."

With tensions rising, Strickland has bigger fish to fry this Saturday at UFC 328. He'll challenge middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev (15-0 MMA, 9-0 UFC) in the main event at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.—a fight that could define his legacy.