Al Jazeera reports: He had help with his shiny new fashion accessory when Chimaev did the honours for him inside the cage.Khamzat Chimaev and Sean Strickland embrace after their fight [Ishika Samant/Getty Images via AFP]UFC beefed up security at hotels, public events, and around the cage for the fight following one of the more loathsome displays – specifically, from Strickland – of trash talk in recent fight history. Strickland threatened to shoot Chimaev and labelled him a “terrorist” because of his ties to Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov.Chimaev, who lost for the first time in 16 professional fights, is of Chechen ethnicity and fights under the United Arab Emirates banner.
He had countered by saying he would “take off” Strickland’s head.The fighters tapped gloves to start the fight to prove they were professionals, and the prefight hostilities never spilled over into the cage. Advertisement The 35-year-old Strickland, who won the 185-pound (84kg) belt in September 2023 and lost it in his first title defence, apologised after the fight to fans of all ethnicities and acknowledged he “went too hard” in weaponising stereotypes to sell the fight.UFC held its last major card before its June 14 show at the White House, hosted by United States President Donald Trump.The show – what UFC CEO Dana White dubbed a “1 of 1 event” – is timed for Trump’s 80th birthday and as part of the nation’s 250th anniversary.
Background
Miller extended his record with 28 career wins in 47 fights under the UFC banner. Advertisement Miller also earned his 20th finish, the second most in UFC history.Wyatt Miller, 14, was diagnosed last year with rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare type of cancer that starts as a growth of cells in soft tissue and is more common in childhood. Wyatt underwent two courses of chemotherapy and five weeks of proton radiation at Rutgers University Cancer Institute and was eventually given a clean bill of health.“My son went through some really difficult times the last couple of months,” Miller said inside the octagon.“He’s all good today.
Key facts
- Miller extended his record with 28 career wins in 47 fights under the UFC banner.
- One of the things I told him when he first got diagnosed was, Millers have been called a lot of names over the years, but fragile’s never been one of them.
- He fought his way through it.”His son’s cancer scare kept Miller out of the cage for 13 months, an eternity for a fighter who made a habit of competing multiple times a year.
What this means
One of the things I told him when he first got diagnosed was, Millers have been called a lot of names over the years, but fragile’s never been one of them. He fought his way through it.”His son’s cancer scare kept Miller out of the cage for 13 months, an eternity for a fighter who made a habit of competing multiple times a year. Miller lost to Chase Hooper in his last fight at UFC 314 in April 2025.Miller (right) punches Gordon in their lightweight fight [Ishika Samant/Getty Images via AFP]
Originally reported by Al Jazeera. This story has been edited and re-presented by BRIC Team.
