UFC 335 has formally been announced for December twelfth in Las Vegas, Nevada and will be headlined by a BMF title struggle between Charles Oliveira and Diego Lopes. As thrilling as that matchup is, it may have been the backup as negotiations for a middleweight title struggle fell through.
Sources advised MMA Mania that a 185 pound title struggle between Sean Strickland and Nassourdine Imavov was mentioned extensively for the last main UFC occasion of 2026, set at the T-Mobile Arena. But talks broke down in the finish, main UFC to pull out the BMF belt to headline the card.
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“Sean Strickland was available and ready to go for UFC 335,” MMA Mania’s Alex Behunin wrote on X (previously Twitter). ” He had zero injuries from the crash — the UFC went in a different direction, per sources.”
That crash was a 60 m.p.h. side-by-side ATV rollover from last week that Strickland says bounced his head off the ground. “Tarzan” managed to stroll away with no accidents but could not depart UFC negotiations unscathed.
The middleweight champion shared on social media that a struggle with Imavov was in the works, with the ultimate piece being money. Strickland undoubtedly made the greatest paycheck of his profession when he fought Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 328. Imavov is a much smaller struggle, but would Sean settle for smaller pay for his first title protection?
“It’s not about injury, he is asking for more money to fight Imavov,” a commenter on Instagram wrote. “Bingo,” Strickland replied beneath.
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