After his dominant performance at UFC 308, Khamzat Chimaev has put himself in the race for the next middleweight challenger. However, former champion Sean Strickland has been gunning for the spot for some time now and doesn’t want to retreat. Unfortunately for the ‘Tarzan,’ reigning champion, Dricus Du Plessis‘s latest announcements don’t favor him.
Khamzat Chimaev showcased an incredible example of his skill and strength by submitting Robert Whittaker in the first round. The Chechen fighter was able to cause great damage to the former champion, which caught the fans by surprise. As it turns out, Dricus Du Plessis was also impressed by the performance and now wants to take that challenge.
But as a fan of the sport, and as the middleweight champion of the world, that’s a fight that gets me more excited. Taking somebody’s 0. I’ve beaten Strickland before, and I know I’ll beat him again. Getting that Khamzat fight, that gets me excited.
Dricus Du Plessis via Radio Raps
Du Plessis fought Sean Strickland at UFC 297, where he won the middleweight championship via split decision. However, the result was controversial, and the American middleweight blamed the judges for robbing him of the win. Strickland bounced back from the loss by defeating Paulo Costa earlier this year and is eager for the title shot.
Dricus du Plessis says he believes Khamzat Chimaev should get the next title shot over Sean Strickland
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) October 30, 2024
It wasn’t the first time Dricus Du Plessis showed his disinterest in fighting Sean Strickland. Despite Dana White‘s approval of Strickland’s contention, DDP was looking forward to the winner of Khamzat Chimaev vs. Robert Whittaker. Now that the winner is clear, the champ sees the ‘Borz’ as the biggest challenge. However, the UFC still has the final say on who gets to challenge the champion.
Khamzat Chimaev impresses UFC Hall of Famer for not snatching Sean Strickland’s spot
The relationship between Khamzat Chimaev and Sean Strickland has worsened over the years. At Xtreme Couture, the pair used to train and spar together. However, recently, the ‘Tarzan’ has mocked the Russian for his crypto controversy and his relationship with terrorist warlord Ramzan Kadyrov.
In response, Chimaev claimed to have dominated Strickland in the training sessions and threatened to release the video. However, despite animosity, Chimaev didn’t try to undermine the American’s title contention. In the latest YouTube video, former UFC fighter Chael Sonnen said the same.
One thing that I have not seen Chimaev do and I respect it is Chimaev has not tried to take that spot from Strickland. And it would be fair game if he did… It’s a very dog-eat-dog world but I offer you as evidence… Chimaev’s next fight is for a world championship but his next fight is not the next time the world championship is being contested.
Chael Sonnen via his YouTube channel
While Strickland has rightfully earned his title shot, fans are currently more focused on Chimaev due to his incredible performance at UFC 308. As Dricus Du Plessis mentioned, as a fan, his fight against the ‘Borz’ will garner more attention than the other fight. Nevertheless, the first DDP vs. Strickland was a thrilling encounter and won’t likely have a dull outcome the second time.
