Former UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold is growing quite familiar with his fellow 185-pound titleholder, Khamzat Chimaev, ahead of UFC 328.
Santo Studio in Newport Beach, California, has unexpectedly become the gathering spot for the unique trio of Chimaev, Rockhold and UFC lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan. Ahead of his Saturday’s title defense against Sean Strickland in Newark, New Jersey, Chimaev put in the work with Rockhold, who is no stranger to elite-level teammates from his days at American Kickboxing Academy.
On Tuesday’s episode of “The Ariel Helwani Show,” Rockhold said he’d rank Chimaev, 32, alongside the best training partners he’s ever had, including names like Khabib Nurmagomedov, Daniel Cormier, Cain Velasquez and Islam Makhachev.
“He’s special,” Rockhold told Uncrowned of Chimaev. “He hits very hard. He’s so unique in his realm, so he’s going to stick to what he does best, but if he can relax — and I think last time out [against Dricus du Plessis], there was a lot of pressure on him to win. This time, I think you’ll see a lot more free Khamzat. And hopefully, he’s get those takedowns. And if he loses a few takedowns, he can show his stand-up, because he’s very dangerous on the feet. It’s just a matter of putting it all together and relaxing to the process.
“I think that’s the biggest key. If he loses some takedowns, he’s gotta relax. If he relaxes among that process, he’s going to get more takedowns and be effective on the feet. He just can’t rush it.”
Chimaev’s championship victory over Dricus du Plessis in August was one of the most one-sided performances ever seen from a UFC title challenger. Yet it still drew criticism throughout the community as a showing long on dominance but short on entertainment.
Rockhold chalked that up to the situation more than the matchup.
“I think the pressure was from some Chechen ruler [Ramzan Kadyrov] and then the people behind him — there’s a lot of pressure,” Rockhold said. “To go back [to Chechnya], who knows what it’d be like if he didn’t bring that title back home. So he is the champion now and I think he’s got a chance [at UFC 328] to go out there and do his thing.”
Against Strickland, Rockhold expects a different approach.
In his own experience, Rockhold was once booked to fight Strickland in 2021 until withdrawing due to a back injury. They first met in Rockhold’s former gym, RVCA, where he immediately soured on Strickland for being an overly-aggressive training partner.
“Sean is truly a piece of s***,” Rockhold said.
“He’s just not a good person. … He has no regards for human beings, especially on somebody else’s turf. So I just don’t appreciate people like that, and people like that who never have gotten over their childhood traumas, seemingly, who continually voice — it’s an obvious portrayal of what that man is and what’s he’s been through, and what he does face and what he doesn’t face.”
Although Rockhold couldn’t care less for Strickland the person, he admits that his fellow former UFC middleweight champion does possess great talent. So much talent that he believes Chimaev won’t face much resistance beyond this weekend’s title matchup.
“He’s the most dangerous guy [for Chimaev] at middleweight and light heavyweight,” Rockhold said of Strickland. “I don’t think anyone stops Khamzat at light heavyweight. Even heavyweight, I think his skills are suited. Sean is the toughest test for Khamzat, for sure. He’s effective.”
Strickland has made the build to UFC 328 excessively personal in recent weeks. Since they first trained together at Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas, Strickland has gone on to call Chimaev a boring fighter and slander his character, while taking shots at the champion’s affiliation with Chechen warlord Ramzan Kadyrov.
Speaking to the media last week, Strickland warned Chimaev that he’d shoot him or anyone on his team if approached in a threatening manner before UFC 328.
Assuming that threat doesn’t faze Chimaev, Rockhold shared a surprising tidbit. While he was unable to confirm it as fact, he’s heard that Kadryrov might attend UFC 328, adding another layer of tension to the already volatile situation between the fighters.
“Sean is not a real threat in the world of what [Chimaev] has dealt with and who he deals with,” Rockhold said. “It sounds like we might have Kadyrov in his corner, so I think he’s pretty safe within his mindset. And we’ll see how it goes. This fight week is going to be interesting. We’ll see how the interactions go, but I think Sean was saying he’s going to bring a gun. I’m not sure if you can bring a gun out there in New Jersey, but they better check it.”