UFC Middleweight Champion, Sean Strickland, recently sparked controversy by questioning the eligibility of Khamzat Chimaev for a title shot. Despite Chimaev's popularity among UFC fans and his recent victory over former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman, Strickland believes that Chimaev is yet to earn his stripes.
Strickland Questions Chimaev's Credentials
In an interview on UFC Fight Pass on October 22, Strickland didn't mince words when discussing Chimaev's potential title shot. "For some reason, people like him or don’t like him. To me, he’s a paycheck. He sells a lot of fights. People pay to watch, but he hasn’t earned it," Strickland said.
Chimaev secured a majority decision victory over Usman in the co-main event of UFC 294 last Saturday in Abu Dhabi. 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 argued.
Strickland's Unexpected Rise
Strickland clinched the middleweight belt with a surprising unanimous decision victory over Israel Adesanya at UFC 293 last September, one of the biggest upsets in UFC history. As of now, the champion 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.
Prior to 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.
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.
Past Training Incident
Strickland said he had no fear of facing Chimaev. He referenced a past training incident where Khamzat misinterpreted something he said. "He sent me a message talking sh*t. 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 recalled.
In response to Strickland’s remarks, Chimaev took to social media to respond, saying, “You’re next, don’t worry. You know how quickly I can finish you.”
Regardless of the controversy surrounding Chimaev's eligibility, it seems clear that both fighters are eager to face off in the octagon. Only time will tell whether Chimaev has truly earned his shot at the title, or if Strickland's criticisms hold weight.