Daniel Cormier Backs Imavov After Strickland Confrontation

Daniel Cormier says Nassourdine Imavov made the right move by confronting Sean Strickland in person at the UFC Performance Institute, calling it exactly what the middleweight contender needed to do to force a title shot.

The confrontation happened this week in Las Vegas, where Imavov and several others approached Strickland at the UFC PI. Imavov pressed Strickland on why he still hadn't signed a bout agreement for their rematch and reportedly offered him money to make the fight happen on the spot. Strickland brushed it off and left, later calling the whole episode "cringe" on Instagram.

Cormier, speaking on his YouTube channel, saw it differently. He pointed out that the UFC PI is a shared training space where fighters run into each other constantly, which makes it fertile ground for exactly this kind of moment. He said he avoided training there himself for that reason.

Why Cormier Thinks Imavov Needed This Moment

Cormier argued that Imavov needed more than just a win to get taken seriously as a threat to Strickland's title. "Nassourdine Imavov needs Sean Strickland," Cormier said, adding that beating a recognizable, outspoken champion would do more for Imavov's profile than any string of quiet decision wins. Imavov has been the division's top contender for months, but he's never had the kind of mainstream attention that chaos like this generates.

Cormier also framed the viral video as a public-perception win for Imavov regardless of how Strickland reacted in the moment. He said Strickland walking away, while fully in character for a fighter nobody questions the courage of, could still read to casual fans as him ducking the fight. Cormier drew a direct line to how Strickland himself rose to the title picture by going after Khamzat Chimaev verbally before their UFC 328 fight in May, saying Imavov is "following the game plan" Strickland already used.

It's worth remembering that Strickland and Chimaev hugged it out after their fight and admitted much of that buildup was business. Cormier's comparison holds up loosely at best, and Imavov's approach looked more like genuine frustration boiling over than a calculated marketing play.

What This Means for the Strickland-Imavov Betting Market

This incident does not change the matchup on paper, Strickland still holds a win over Imavov from three years ago, but it does inject urgency into a fight that had stalled without a signed agreement. Strickland has spent recent weeks publicly griping about UFC pay and even floating a move to boxing against Jake Paul, which had cast doubt on whether he'd defend the middleweight title again soon. A forced confrontation like this one pushes the promotion toward locking the rematch in, and any firm booking should bring betting markets to life quickly. Expect Strickland to open as a favorite again given the first result between them, but watch for the number to tighten if Imavov's recent form and this newfound attention shift public money his way.

For now there's no fight officially on the books, but Cormier's take reflects a broader sense in the sport that Imavov finally has the kind of spotlight a title shot usually requires.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened between Sean Strickland and Nassourdine Imavov?

Nassourdine Imavov and several others confronted Sean Strickland at the UFC Performance Institute in Las Vegas, with Imavov asking why Strickland hadn't signed a bout agreement for their rematch and offering him money to fight. Strickland dismissed the confrontation and later called it 'cringe' on Instagram.

What did Daniel Cormier say about the Imavov-Strickland confrontation?

Daniel Cormier praised Nassourdine Imavov's move, saying he needed to confront Sean Strickland to boost his profile and public perception ahead of a potential title shot, comparing it to how Strickland himself built hype before fighting Khamzat Chimaev.

Have Sean Strickland and Nassourdine Imavov fought before?

Yes, Sean Strickland defeated Nassourdine Imavov three years ago, and a rematch has been discussed as Imavov sits as the UFC middleweight division's top contender.