Sean Strickland, Colby Covington and Khamzat Chimaev (Photo by Imagn Images)

Colby Covington Predicts Brutal Outcome for Sean Strickland in Potential Khamzat Chimaev Fight

Originally posted on Total Pro Sports | By Pavan Sharma | Last updated Mar 18, 2026 3:34 AM ET

Islam Makhachev and Khamzat Chimaev have won their titles by using their wrestling abilities. Chimaev dominated Dricus Du Plessis for all five rounds and made the fight one-sided. But now Sean Strickland is challenging ‘Borz’ for the middleweight title, and UFC star Colby Covington predicts a brutal outcome for this fight.

A lot of people believe that the 35-year-old Strickland can defeat the middleweight champ. But Covington doesn’t see the fight between the Chechen fighter and Strickland as competitive. Covington believes Chimaev’s wrestling will be too much and expects a one-sided fight. In a recent video with N3on, ‘Chaos’ said:

“Not really [the fight doesn’t make sense]. Strickland’s gonna get taken down and beat up – it’s gonna be bad. Khamzat’s gonna beat him up pretty good.”

Colby Covington believes Khamzat Chimaev would easily beat Sean Strickland

“Not really [the fight doesn’t make sense]. Strickland’s gonna get taken down and beat up – it’s gonna be bad. Khamzat’s gonna beat him up pretty good.”

(Via @N3onOnYT ) pic.twitter.com/WfcBCZiBRV
— Red Corner MMA (@RedCorner_MMA) March 18, 2026

The former interim welterweight champ also says ‘Borz’ will dominate and beat ‘Tarzan’ pretty easily. Now, fans and MMA stars are divided—some believe Strickland really has a chance against Chimaev, and some believe he doesn’t have a chance. Fans will wait to see how the 35-year-old will approach his game.

Aljamain Sterling Believes Sean Strickland’s Trash Talk Can Break Khamzat Chimaev’s Mind

Sean Strickland is known for his brutal trash talk, and many believe it will play a huge role in his upcoming fight against Khamzat Chimaev. Former UFC champ Aljamain Sterling believes Strickland could actually use his words as a weapon. In a recent video, the former bantamweight champ said:

“I think Strickland is going to get in his head and force Khamzat to go crazy early on. I think Strickland has a really good chance, especially if he can get Khamzat frustrated and make him fight outside of himself.”

Aljamain Sterling says Sean Strickland can win if he gets in Khamzat’s head ️

"I think Strickland is going to get in his head and force Khamzat to go crazy early on. I think Strickland has a really good chance, especially if he can get Khamzat frustrated and make him fight… pic.twitter.com/q6HxqZnMWD
— Red Corner MMA (@RedCorner_MMA) March 17, 2026

Sterling mentioned that if Strickland gets into Chimaev’s head, it could force ‘Borz’ to fight emotionally instead of sticking to his usual dominant game plan. Fans have already seen Chimaev lose his temper before. Now, fans are waiting to see how the press conference will unfold.

This article first appeared on Total Pro Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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