UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland has publicly questioned Khamzat Chimaev's eligibility for a title shot. In an interview with UFC Fight Pass on October 22, Strickland shared his views on Chimaev's rapid rise to fame.
Strickland's Controversial Remarks
"For some reason, people either like him or don't like him. I don’t know," Strickland said about Chimaev. "To me, he’s just a paycheck. He sells a lot of fights. People pay to watch, but he hasn’t truly earned it."
In the co-main event of UFC 294 last Saturday in Abu Dhabi, Chimaev secured a majority decision victory over former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman. Leading up to the event, UFC CEO Dana White had promoted this matchup as a title eliminator - a stance that Strickland disputes vehemently.
"He hasn’t deserved it, but here we are. Give it to him. He sells a lot of fights. I’ll go fight the man for five rounds. But no, he’s not earned it. He doesn’t deserve it. Getting a decision with a welterweight off the couch is not earning it," Strickland said.
Strickland's Rise to Champion Status
Last September at UFC 293, Strickland clinched the middleweight belt with a surprising unanimous decision victory over Israel Adesanya. This win was one of the biggest upsets in UFC history. The current champion now boasts a three-fight winning streak.
Chimaev’s Middleweight Return
Chimaev made his middleweight return at UFC 294, having previously competed at welterweight. On short notice, Usman ventured into middleweight to replace Paulo Costa, who had to withdraw from the event due to an elbow injury and subsequent surgery.
Before the bout with Usman, “Borz” had not fought in over a year. He claimed his last victory via submission against Kevin Holland in a 180-pound catchweight fight at UFC 279 in September 2022.
The Chimaev-Usman Bout
Both Chimaev and “The Nigerian Nightmare” are renowned for their wrestling skills, and many expected that Chimaev would have the size advantage on fight night. The fight ended with one judge scoring it a 28-28 draw, while the others leaned in favor of Chimaev with 29-28 scores.
Strickland also expressed his disappointment with the UFC’s choice to grant his first title defense to fighters transitioning from welterweight. He previously disapproved of the Chimaev-Usman bout when the Abu Dhabi schedules were announced, saying it was just a fight “to fill a seat.”
Past Training Incident
Strickland referenced a past training incident where Khamzat misinterpreted something he said. Despite this misunderstanding, Strickland maintains that he has no fear of facing Chimaev.
"He sent me a message talking trash. And I said, ‘Chimaev, you misunderstood. But, I will see you tomorrow at 3 o’clock, gloves or no gloves, come turn up. And then guess what? No show. No answer. We talked it out, he said, ‘No, no, it’s okay, we talk about it,’" Strickland recounted.
In response to Strickland’s remarks, Chimaev took to social media to respond, asserting, “You’re next, don’t worry. You know how quickly I can finish you.”
As the tension between these two fighters continues to mount, UFC fans eagerly anticipate their potential showdown in the octagon.