Khamzat Chimaev Is Waiting For Sean Strickland “To Come Out Of His House”
Khamzat Chimaev says he’s ready to return whenever the UFC brass gives him a fight and “nothing has changed” since his title loss.
Earlier this year, Chimaev was dethroned by Sean Strickland at UFC 328, after which the Chechen-born Emirati fighter postponed his plans of moving up to 205 pounds for a second belt. Chimaev has stated numerous times after being uncrowned that he wants to run it back with current and two-time UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland ASAP.
Dana White said a few weeks back that the matchmakers have not decided who will be the next 185-pound title challenger. Top contender Nassourdine Imavov, on the other hand, has claimed that he is next in line to challenge Strickland.
This past weekend, Khamzat Chimaev took a lighthearted dig at Sean Strickland by alleging that “Tarzan” is the one delaying their title rematch. He quipped :
“Nothing’s changed. We’re training, waiting for Strickland to come out of his house. Whenever they give me a fight, that’s when I’ll return. [I’m ready] even today.”
Check out Khamzat Chimaev’s comments below:
Strickland had suffered a shoulder injury and a nose injury. He underwent stem cell therapy to recover without any form of surgery, and in the past few weeks he has been spotted at the UFC PI often, training.
Who can Khamzat Chimaev fight if the UFC plans to book Sean Strickland vs. Nassourdine Imavov 2?
If the matchmakers are not game to grant Khamzat Chimaev an immediate title rematch and he has to return to the win column first to get a title shot, “Borz” can potentially run it back with Dricus du Plessis. The South African returned to winning ways most recently at UFC Oklahoma City, where he cruised to a dominant unanimous decision win over the legendary Kamaru Usman.
However, Du Plessis still has a lot to prove when it comes to his takedown defense and ground game, and a rematch with Chimaev is the perfect opportunity to show how much he’s improved after his UFC 319 title loss.
