UFC Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier says he is unsure how Sean Strickland and Khamzat Chimaev can sell a potential rematch.
Strickland defeated Chimaev via split decision at UFC 328 in May to capture the UFC middleweight championship in what was one of the biggest upsets of the year in one of the biggest grudge matches the UFC has ever seen.
In the lead-up to the bout, both Strickland and Chimaev went back and forth on social media, in interviews, and even at the weigh-ins, as the two sold a highly-anticipated fight that mostly lived up to the expectations when the two rivals went to war for 25 minutes at UFC 328.
But following the bout, Strickland admitted that much of the trash talk with Chimaev was for show, and it’s because of that comment that Cormier isn’t sure how the pair will sell a rematch.
Daniel Cormier Criticizes Strickland & Chimaev
Taking to his YouTube channel, Cormier criticized Strickland and Chimaev for essentially burying the hatchet following their first bout and admitting that their trash talk was for show, as it makes promoting a rematch that much more difficult for the UFC.
“They’re not going to be able to sell it on a blood feud like they did last time,” Cormier said (via MMAjunkie.com).
“Generally, guys, we would all jump on this. Oh, bad blood between these two, and we know bad blood between these two equates to a really good fight. And honestly, the fight wasn’t bad. Sean Strickland pretty much controlled the fight with his jab, and Sean fought a great fight that night. Khamzat never got started, but we’d be like, ‘Oh my goodness, they’re at it again. Two dudes that hate each other are going to fight again,’ – if we did not get that moment in Newark – a moment we didn’t really need. It was unnecessary.
“You don’t have to bury the hatchet, especially when the guy you beat for the belt is so dominant against everyone else that there’s a really strong chance that he’ll work his way back to a championship opportunity. … When (Strickland) tells you that it’s not real, ‘I was selling a fight,’ you believe him. He does not sugarcoat anything and that’s why people love him. I would watch those two fight every day of the week because I love the fight within the fight. To the general fan, how do we get them to believe it, when the ultimate truth speaker in our league has told us he doesn’t really hate him as much as it may seem?”
Will the UFC Book the Rematch?
The question now is, will the UFC book the rematch between Strickland and Chimaev?
While it would certainly be an intriguing matchup given how closely fought their first meeting was, the fact that Nassourdine Imavov is out there on a six-fight unbeaten streak makes it that much more difficult to give Chimaev an immediate rematch, especially since he never defended his belt once.
But that being said, even with Cormier’s criticisms — which are fair — if the UFC believes that they can sell and promote the rematch, perhaps it will be booked.
Daniel Cormier Unsure How Strickland & Chimaev Sell Rematch