Scrambling to save this weekend’s UFC 294 card in the Middle East, prior to booking an official middleweight title-eliminator between Khamzat Chimaev, and Kamaru Usman, the promotion is said to have floated a championship fight between the undefeated, Chimaev, and incumbent divisional gold holder, Sean Strickland, ultimately to no avail.
Returning to Abu Dhabi, UAE this weekend – the promotion was forced to alter both originally scheduled co-headlining and headlining bouts for the flagship event, after Brazilian duo, Paulo Costa, and former lightweight champion, Charles Oliveira were forced from their respective clashes due to nasty injuries sustained ahead of the card.
As a result, the promotion have since booked a middleweight championship eliminator between former welterweight champion and prior pound-for-pound number one, Usman, and the above-mentioned Chechen-born finisher, Chimaev for the night’s co-headlining slot.
Kamaru Usman and Khamzat Chimaev with an INTENSE staredown
pic.twitter.com/h0O8AMqHj0
— Chamatkar Sandhu (@SandhuMMA) October 20, 2023
Sean Strickland reportedly turned down a UFC 294 title fight with Khamzat Chimaev
However, as per a report tonight from ESPN reporter, Marc Raimondi, prior to locking in a fight between Usman and Chimaev, recently-minted undisputed middleweight champion, Strickland was initially floated in a short-notice title defense against the former, having just featured at UFC 293 last month in Sydney, Australia.
Rejecting such a short-notice turnaround to defend his middleweight crown against Chimaev, Strickland was subsequently out of the picture to fight at UFC 294 in the Middle East – with the organization instead landing on a fight between Usman and Chimaev.
Atop tomorrow’s card at the Etihad Arena, undisputed lightweight champion, Islam Makhachev will take on undisputed featherweight champion and pound-for-pound leader, Alexander Volkanovski on just 11 days’ notice in a championship rematch, having initially clashed back in February in Perth, Australia.
Would you like to see Sean Strickland fight Khamzat Chimaev in the future?