The impressive way in which Khamzat Chimaev beat Robert Whittaker No. UFC 308, in Abu Dhabi, may have been the Chechen's ticket to jump the queue and fight for the middleweight belt (up to 83,9 kg). Although Sean Strickland be the first in the ranking and wait for the chance to face the champion Dricus du Plessis, Daniel Cormier, who watched the fight in the front row, noticed an unusual movement by the UFC president backstage.
'DC' reported on his YouTube channel that, as soon as 'The Wolf' finished the fight and dislocated the Australian's jaw, Hunter Campbell and Mick Maynard quickly met with Dana White on the edge of the octagon and may have defined there who would be the next challenger for the belt.
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“He went out there and won in the first round. And if you are the Sean Strickland, this result is concerning. Why? Because Mick Maynard, who is sitting next to me, jumps up and runs to talk to Dana, and they start talking to Hunter (Campbell). Dana immediately follows Chimaev to talk to him. This is a concerning sign for someone considered the No. 1 contender, because it shows that something is up. To me, Khamzat Shimaev has solidified himself as the top contender at middleweight. His grappling, top control, mentality and approach are unlike almost anything we've seen before," said the former two-time champion.
Middleweight Belt
Sean Strickland became division champion by defeating Israel adesanya in September 2023. However, he lost the title soon after in a close fight against the South African Dricus du Plessis.
Du Plessis successfully defended his belt against Adesanya in August this year and now awaits the definition of his next challenger. Among the most quoted are Strickland, who beat Paulo Costa on points, and Khamzat Shimaev, who submitted Whittaker in the first round and is now ranked 3rd.
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