Sean Strickland isn't buying into Khamzat Chimaev's latest mind games. Just days before their UFC 328 middleweight title clash in New Jersey, Chimaev dug up old sparring footage and posted it online, claiming he was "bullying" Strickland. But the American former champion fired back, calling the move petty and misleading.

"That's what I'm talking about, the guy's just a little f***ing rat," Strickland told media on Wednesday. "One, I didn't know we were filming. Those are our warm-up rounds. You're just a weak man. We're light sparring."

The frosty buildup to Saturday's main event has been marked by extra security to keep the rivals apart. Strickland has previously accused Chimaev of targeting weaker fighters in the gym—a claim Chimaev tried to flip by sharing the clip with the caption: "I am bullying weak people." But Strickland insists the footage shows nothing close to real combat.

"We've only sparred once, and we did like a three-round spar. When I go to a gym, I want to spar the best guy. I wanted to spar him, but he would always just go beat up the lower-level guys," Strickland added.

This weekend's fight is a chance for both men to prove themselves. Strickland, 35, shocked the world when he dethroned Israel Adesanya in 2023, but lost the belt to Dricus Du Plessis just four months later. He bounced back with a win over Paulo Costa, then lost a rematch to Du Plessis last February. Meanwhile, Chimaev dominated Du Plessis in August, and Strickland responded by stopping Anthony Hernandez in the third round this February to earn his third title shot.

While some fans argue Nassourdine Imavov deserved the nod over Strickland, the American is confident he belongs in the cage. "I think it's also a good fight, it's a fun fight," he said. With tensions high and the stakes even higher, Saturday night promises fireworks—and maybe a few more rounds of real sparring to settle the score.