Khamzat Chimaev called out UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland again after the two had a close fight earlier this month at UFC 328.
Chimaev lost the UFC middleweight title via split decision to Strickland in the main event of UFC 328. It was a very close fight, and some believe that Chimaev did enough to win. But two of the three cageside judges went with Strickland, and he became the UFC middleweight champion for the second time in his career.
Following the fight, Chimaev told UFC president Dana White that he wanted to fight at 205 lbs, partly due to the bad weight cut he had before UFC 328. But he quickly changed his mind and said he wanted to stay at 185 lbs, saying that he was “obsessed” with a Strickland rematch. Despite that being the case, and Chimaev going on social media to call Strickland out, the rematch has not been booked yet.
So, now Chimaev is calling out Strickland again.
Khamzat Chimaev Calls Out Sean Strickland Again
Taking to his social media on Sunday, Chimaev once again told Strickland he wants to rematch him.
“I’m waiting tell me when you’re ready @SStricklandMMA Next time somebody has to be dead,” Chimaev said.
In response to a fan who said he should stop giving excuses about his loss, Chimaev replied that Strickland needs to stop “trying to run away.”
“No excuses I am just wanna (expletive) him up this (expletive) Trying to run away,” Chimaev wrote.
Will Khamzat Chimaev Get His Rematch?
Will Chimaev get his rematch with Strickland? That remains to be seen, and it’s hard to say what the UFC will decide to do.
On the one hand, the first fight between Chimaev and Strickland was a good one, and the buildup to it was phenomenal. It was one of the biggest grudge matches in UFC history, and both fighters lived up to the hype by putting on a fantastic match that went 25 hard minutes. At the end of the five rounds, Strickland picked up a massive upset as a +400 betting underdog. So, running it back is certainly an option.
On the other hand, Chimaev never successfully defended the UFC middleweight title, and the promotion rarely gives rematches to champions who lose their belt on the first try, even if the fight was close. There is also the fact that Nassourdine Imavov has been waiting a long time for a title shot. He’s won five straight fights and has earned the right to fight for the belt. But he might get passed over if the UFC goes with Chimaev instead.
We will hopefully find out soon what the UFC’s plans are with the middleweight division. If Chimaev were granted the rematch, no one — except for Imavov — would complain since it would be such a big fight. But if Imavov got the title shot, instead, it would be acceptable since he deserves it. The UFC matchmakers have an interesting choice to make, and hopefully, we will find out soon what they decide to do with the 185 lbs belt.
Khamzat Chimaev Calls Out Sean Strickland Again