\n<\/p>\n
Sean Strickland is the UFC\u2019s main character of the week, after his string of public messages revealing his dissatisfaction with life as the middleweight champion. Strickland has told us about how much his pay sucks and that his heart just isn\u2019t in MMA anymore. He\u2019s also told us that he\u2019d rather switch over to boxing, to play around with Jake Paul.<\/p>\n
While Strickland muses about his future in the sport, Nassourdine Imavov has been seething on the sidelines. Imavov is the clear number one contender in the division, but a fight with Strickland has seemed frustratingly far off for the Frenchman.<\/p>\n
That frustration boiled over this week as Imavov and some flunkies ambushed Strickland at the UFC Performance Institute in Las Vegas. Imavov asked Strickland why he hadn\u2019t signed a bout agreement and also offered to give him money to fight him. Strickland shrugged all that off on his way out the door.<\/p>\n
Later, on Instagram, Strickland called the whole thing \u2018cringe\u2019.<\/p>\n
You know who didn\u2019t think it was cringe? Daniel Cormier.<\/p>\n
On his YouTube channel, Cormier lauded Imavov\u2019s approach.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe UFC PI is a great tool for athletes of the UFC,\u201d Cormier said. \u201cThe UFC PI is also a danger zone for certain athletes or most athletes honestly, because the ability come across someone you\u2019re going to fight is very present almost every single day.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cormier then said that he chose not to train at the PI, because he didn\u2019t want to end up in confrontations like this one. Of the confrontation, though, Cormier thought Imavov not only did the right thing, but also the thing he needed<\/em> to do to get his title shot.<\/p>\n \u201cNassourdine Imavov needs Sean Strickland,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd not only for the championship. Nassourdine Imavov needs Sean Strickland because you need someone to beat to become champion to really legitimize you and help with your star appeal. A win over Sean Strickland would do that for Imavov.\u201d<\/p>\n Cormier also said that Imavov\u2019s move might give him the upper-hand in the court of public opinion.<\/p>\n \u201cSo Sean almost walking away and not really throwing fuel on that fire that\u2019s seeming like it\u2019s growing is actually smart because he\u2019s kind of no-selling him.,\u201d Cormier said. \u2018But to the general public, to the fan, the general eye, it looks like Strickland is almost avoiding the fight.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know Sean Strickland is not afraid of anyone,\u201d Cormier clarified. \u201cBut to the general public, when they see that video and they see Strickland walking away, they will interpret that he does not want to fight Nassourdine Imavov. I will tell you right now, if you step in the Octagon with Khamzat Chimaev, you will fight anyone.\u201d<\/p>\n Cormier continued to praise Imavov\u2019s move to make headlines (which obviously worked) and also connected it to what Strickland had done previously.<\/p>\n \u201cI also head someone telling them, \u2018do you think this helps you?\u2019 \u2026 Guess what? It does,\u201d Cormier claimed. \u201cIt actually does help. The reason Sean Strickland got that title fight after beating Fluffy Hernandez in Houston is because he attacked the champion. He went directly at Khamzat Chimaev, said some disparaging things about him. Talked about his religion, his personality and everything else to make everybody pay attention. \u2026 That\u2019s what Imavov is doing. He\u2019s only following the game plan that was laid out in front of him by Sean Strickland that ultimately paid dividends to him becoming the champion.\u201d<\/p>\n It\u2019s a stretch to say that Imavov was intentionally replicating Strickland in this moment. Imavov was, instead, just doing what we\u2019ve seen fighters do for years when they want to force through a bout or get a psychological edge on their opponent.<\/p>\n Also, DC might need to be reminded of how Strickland and Chimaev embraced each other after their fight at UFC 328 in May and pretty much admitted that all their talk was just to make and sell the fight.<\/p>\n Along with talking about the PI incident, Cormier did touch on Strickland\u2019s concerns over fighter pay. The former champ turned in-house broadcaster gently stepped around the situation, while making it clear that he would hate to see a great fighter, and popular personality, like Strickland leave his organization.<\/p>\n Cormier went on to say that the Strickland vs. Imavov match-up, a rematch of a fight Strickland won three years ago, is suddenly more exciting \u2014 to him, anyway.<\/p>\n Cormier is right that this incident has caused some buzz around Imavov. And this might be the first time he\u2019s ever had buzz around him. Whether that means he\u2019ll get to fight Strickland, though, that seems pretty far out of his hands.<\/p>\n