Sean Strickland, in a shocking turn of events, managed to defeat Israel Adesanya at UFC 293. Very few people were expecting the American to walk out of the cage as the new middleweight champion against ‘Izzy’, a historically great champion. Even fewer were expecting him to do so in the way that he did, virtually dominating the Kiwi-Nigerian for five rounds.

Most agreed that Adesanya’s underwhelming performance did not warrant an immediate rematch. And that raised the question of who would be Strickland’s first title defense. And the UFC answered that question a few days ago after announcing the revised co-main event for UFC 294.

Khamzat Chimaev and Kamaru Usman to fight at UFC 294 for middleweight title shot

After Paulo Costa was forced to pull out of his middleweight bout against Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 294 on October 21, the UFC roped in Kamaru Usman as a replacement. Along with this, UFC CEO Dana White would confirm that the winner of Usman-Chimaev would fight Sean Strickland for the middleweight title next.

This is an alluring prospect for both men. Usman has already defeated ‘Tarzan’ back in 2017 at UFC 210 when they met in a welterweight bout. And ‘Borz’, too has recently expressed confidence that he would be able to beat his former training partner, Strickland.

The Chechen remarked that in terms of skill level, he was “levels above him [Strickland]” and that he was “in a whole different stratosphere from him”. But first, the Emirati needs to go through ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’, and it might very well turn out to be the biggest challenge he has faced in his career so far.

Will Chimaev fight for the middleweight title next?

Chimaev is a pressure fighter who sets a relentless pace for his opponents. He comes into MMA from a background in freestyle wrestling and has a well-rounded ground game. Additionally, his striking is just as impressive. And his upcoming opponent, Kamaru Usman, is sure to test his abilities on the feet. A striker first and foremost, Usman has one of the greatest takedown defenses in UFC history, which prevents his opponents from taking him down.

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Additionally, Usman brings a fight IQ and experience at the highest level, with multiple title defenses that Chimaev lacks at this point in his career. ‘Borz’ will have a clear advantage if he can take Usman to the ground. But if the fight is mostly a stand-up affair, Usman would have a slight edge given all the factors we have mentioned above. But the Nigerian is coming off a two-fight losing streak against Leon Edwards, and some feel Usman is not the same fighter he once was.

This, of course, would make him even more dangerous, as he would come into the fight with a huge chip on his shoulder and everything to prove. Given all of this, the fight is promising to be an electrifying affair and may come down to being a battle of the two men’s wills and mental toughness. Who do you think will win in their bout? Tell us in the comments section below.

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