How did UFC CEO Dana White convince Khamzat Chimaev and Kamaru Usman to fight in the UFC 294 pay-per-view (PPV) co-main event on less than two weeks’ notice? By promising the winner the next shot at current middleweight champion Sean Strickland.
“That is an absolute fact,” White told The Pat McAfee Show. “The fact that these guys are taking this fight on short notice, (the winner) will get the next shot at the title, barring injuries and other things that can possibly happen.”
Chimaev was originally booked to throw down against former middleweight title challenger Paulo Costa; however, a bum elbow forced “The Eraser” to withdraw earlier this week, paving the way for the unbooked Usman to make his Octagon return.
That means No. 2-ranked middleweight contender, Dricus Du Plessis, will have to take another fight — or wait until some point in 2024 to compete for the 185-pound strap, an opportunity he let slip through his fingers just last month.
“Stillknocks” echoed his fans’ disappointment on his Instagram account.
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https://www.instagram.com/dricusduplessis/
Du Plessis turned down the opportunity to fight then-champion Israel Adesanya at UFC 293 in Sydney, a spot that eventually went to Strickland. “Tarzan” made the most of his opportunity by capturing a unanimous decision victory over “The Last Stylebender,” blowing open the 185-pound division and putting “Stillknocks” title shot in jeopardy (as predicted).
Let’s face it, it’s never a good idea to upset the boss.
Usman, who previously held the title at 170 pounds, has long teased a jump to middleweight — but only if Adesanya was no longer champion. As for Chimaev, he was bouncing back and forth between welterweight and middleweight before a colossal scale fail forced him to stay at 185 pounds, which no longer seems like a punishment considering what’s at stake.
For much more on the upcoming UFC 294 PPV event on Oct. 21 in Abu Dhabi click here.