MMA fans around the world witnessed several historic moments this past Saturday night. Featherweight champion and rising superstar Ilia Topuria cracked the chin of fan-favorite Max Holloway. This was the first time in UFC history someone was able to crack Holloway’s chin. This landmark moment followed another equally historic event, as Khamzat Chimaev handed Robert Whittaker the first submission loss of his UFC career in brutal fashion.
Both fights left fans with questions, but none more pressing than whether Khamzat’s performance would jeopardize the anticipated title shot for No. 1 contender Sean Strickland. Strickland has been eyeing a rematch with current middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis. Fan consensus strongly leaned toward Khamzat being next in line. Although some reservations surfaced due to promises the UFC had reportedly made to Strickland after he stepped up on short notice in recent fights.
Fortunately, it didn’t take long for the champ himself to weigh in. Dricus spoke to TMZSports in a video interview, expressing his belief that Khamzat deserves the title shot over Sean Strickland. While Dricus made it clear that he isn’t worried about facing Strickland again. Dricus showed excitement at the prospect of fighting Chimaev. “They’ve hyped up this guy for so long,” Dricus said. “He’s the first guy to submit Rob and he did it in the first round – that warrants him jumping the gun on Sean Strickland.” He added, “If you ask me personally, that’s the fight I would rather want because it’s a fight that the people want, a fight that more people want, and I believe that Khamzat is the next best guy.”
Strickland has also been vocal on X about his entitlement to the rematch, appearing unimpressed with Chimaev’s performance. While it remains to be seen what decision the UFC brass will ultimately make in the end. It’s clear all three athletes are eager to get back into the octagon in pursuit of gold.
Does Khamzat deserve the title shot over Strickland? Comment below!
Featured image credits to Embed from Getty Images
