According to a former UFC middleweight champion, Sean Strickland presents a formidable challenge to Khamzat Chimaev’s reign as the UFC’s 185-pound titleholder. Luke Rockhold, the fighter in question, shared this opinion during a recent episode of the Jaxxon podcast.
Rockhold elaborated on his perspective regarding a potential Chimaev versus Strickland title bout, stating:
“I don’t like saying this, but Strickland is likely to win a fight, making him arguably the toughest test for Khamzat. Holding Strickland down is surprisingly difficult. While his ground game isn’t exceptional, he excels at getting back to his feet, which poses a significant challenge for Khamzat – he might struggle to keep Strickland grounded. Khamzat needs to become more comfortable with striking exchanges on the feet. If he struggles to control an opponent on the ground, it could be a difficult fight for him. Their past training experiences together could also have psychological implications for both fighters.”
Sean Strickland shares similar views about his prospects against Khamzat Chimaev
Sean Strickland also believes he has a good chance in a fight against Khamzat Chimaev. Like Rockhold, Strickland recognizes the need to return to winning ways to secure a high-profile fight like that. Strickland and Chimaev share a history of training together, which has created lingering animosity between them.
Strickland’s pursuit of the middleweight title was unsuccessful against Dricus du Plessis in February. Subsequently, Chimaev claimed the title from DDP in August. Sean Strickland has expressed interest in facing Anthony ‘Fluffy’ Hernandez, citing Hernandez’s current momentum as a potential stepping stone to a title shot for Strickland if he is victorious.
Strickland also jokingly referred to ‘Fluffy’ as the American Chimaev, suggesting that defeating Hernandez would provide insight into how he might fare against Chimaev. Strickland addressed the reigning UFC champion and articulated his desire to become a two-time titleholder at 185 pounds, stating [via MMA Weekly]:
“I want to compete against Chimaev. In many ways, it feels like a personal matter because I believe I’m the only one who can defeat Chimaev. Chimaev is aware of this. His team is aware of this. Everyone is aware of this. I’m the only one who can defeat him. I’ve grappled with all the individuals he’s slated to fight, and he’s simply going to overpower them.”
