Undefeated middleweight contender, Khamzat Chimaev has vowed to finish undisputed division champion, Sean Strickland in quickfire fashion if they share the Octagon together next – after landing a title-eliminator victory over former welterweight champion, Kamaru Usman in the co-main event of UFC 294 over the course of the weekend.
Chimaev, who made his long-anticipated return to the Octagon in the co-headliner of UFC 294 over the course of the weekend, turned in a close, majority decision (29-27, 29-27, 28-28) triumph over former pound-for-pound number one, Usman, in the pair’s officially billed championship-eliminator bout.
And improving to 13-0 with his judging victory as a result, Chimaev has been lined up to fight the above-mentioned, Strickland in an undisputed middleweight title fight next.
However, when and if that showdown takes place likely depends on the Chechnya native’s immediate availability, after he confirmed how he believed he fractured his right hand in the opening exchanges of his fight with Usman, limiting his ability to wrestle and grapple in the second and third rounds.
Khamzat Chimaev vows to finish Sean Strickland in future fight
Weighing up the possibility of sharing the Octagon with Strickland in the future, undefeated contender, Chimaev has claimed he would make short work of the incumbent champion – and the former should know that.
“@SStricklandMMA you are next don’t worry you know haw (sic) fast I can finish you,” Khamzat Chimaev posted on his official X account.
@SStricklandMMA you are next don’t worry you know haw fast I can finish you
— Khamzat Chimaev (@KChimaev) October 23, 2023
Winning undisputed middleweight gold back in September, Strickland turned in a stunning unanimous decision win over former two-time division champion, Israel Adesanya, scoring a spectacular upset win over the City Kickboxing staple in Sydney, Australia.
Who wins in a future fight: Khamzat Chimaev or Sean Strickland?