Dana White’s Grand Plans for Khamzat Chimaev in the Works as Team Sean Strickland Reveals Possible Title Defense Date Against Undefeated Star

UFC has its new middleweight title contender, and he is none other than the undefeated Khamzat Chimaev! The 185 lbs division has been full of surprises and shocks lately. Back in September, Sean Strickland pulled off one of the biggest UFC upsets by defeating Israel Adesanya via unanimous decision and winning the middleweight title.

Next, middleweight star Paulo Costa was set to face the returning Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 294. However, Costa opted out of the fight and Kamaru Usman replaced him, just days prior to the event. Soon, UFC CEO Dana White announced that the winner of this fight would fight Strickland for the title. Next, ‘Borz’ was able to bag a victory over Usman. Now, it seems like we are getting closer to Strickland vs. Chimaev.

Khamzat Chimaev vs. Sean Strickland very soon?

Just after the UFC 294 fight, Chimaev revealed an injury on his hand. The undefeated UFC star said that he might have a fracture in his hand. This news would have delayed his title fight. However, it was soon announced that Chimaev’s injury was not a fracture, but a ligament tear.

Recently, Sean Strickland’s coach Eric Nicksick revealed important details about the next UFC middleweight title fight. According to the Xtreme Couture coach, UFC is planning to set up Strickland vs Chimaev in early 2024.

Read More – The Unknown & Unearthed Career of Khamzat Chimaev Before the UFC-MMA Mania Gripped Him

UFC 297 is the first PPV of the year 2024. Originally, there were plans that the matchmakers were trying to book a featherweight title fight between Alexander Volkanovski and Ilia Topuria. However, Volkanovski fought at UFC 294 against Islam Makhachev as a short-notice opponent. Now, the main event of UFC 297 isn’t clear! Can Strickland vs Chimaev headline UFC’s first PPV of 2024? Only time will tell.

Khamzat Chimaev’s “hype train” finished? Joe Rogan answers

No doubt, Joe Rogan is one of the most knowledgeable personalities when it comes to MMA and UFC. The popular podcast host has been involved with the sport for decades now. While he was not present at the commentary table of UFC 294, Rogan was telecasting his live reactions through a livestream.

After Khamzat Chimaev was unable to finish Kamaru Usman and secured a majority-decision victory, Rogan answered an intriguing question about ‘Borz’. “Kind of slow the hype train down on Khamzat?” asked Rogan’s friend Brendan Schaub.

“Yeah it does a little bit. It slows it down a little bit,” Rogan said. However, the popular UFC commentator also praised the undefeated fighter for his skills. “But it does show he’s legit,” he said.

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What do you think about the hype behind Khamzat Chimaev? Has it slowed down? Do let us know in the comments section below.