A former UFC champion believes Khamzat Chimaev faces an internal battle as he prepares to face Sean Strickland at UFC 328.
One of the biggest UFC fights of the year is just weeks away as UFC middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev prepares to return to the Octagon to face former titleholder Sean Strickland at UFC 328. After earning the UFC middleweight belt last year at UFC 319, Chimaev will look to hand Strickland another title fight loss and provide finality to their long-standing feud.
One of the common narratives surrounding Chimaev vs. Strickland is whether or not Strickland will be able to handle the champion’s early-round barrage. Chimaev is known for his ferocity in the first minutes of his fights, as showcased in recent wins over Dricus du Plessis and Kevin Holland.
Going against a durable cardio machine in Strickland, one UFC star believes Chimaev has a dilemma on his hands ahead of UFC 328 that could impact the outcome.
Aljamain Sterling questions Khamzat Chimaev’s mindset heading into UFC 328
In a recent interview with Home of Fight, former UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling took a contrarian view on Chimaev vs. Strickland.
“If Strickland can weather the early storm, that fight gets interesting really, really quick. I think Khamzat’s conflicted right now,” Sterling said of Chimaev vs. Strickland.
“He’s trying to decide whether or not he wants to run through him because he knows possibly, if he doesn’t, he’s going to be tired going into those later rounds, and you don’t want to be tired with a guy like Strickland in front of you. He’s a nightmare, and that’s what makes this fight very, very interesting. Khamzat has the ability to finish this fight in Round 1, or Strickland has the ability to finish Khamzat in the later rounds. Possibly goes to a decision…
“Khamzat’s the favorite coming into this, and everyone knows why,” Sterling continued on Chimaev and Strickland. “Sean knows what he’s up against going into this fight. He’s got a tall task, not going to be easy for him, but is it possible for him to win this fight? 100 percent. I don’t think it’s an absolute ‘lock’ for Khamzat whatsoever.”
What is your prediction for Khamzat Chimaev vs. Sean Strickland? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!