Ready to Spoil Khamzat Chimaev’s Intentions, Israel Adesanya Fight Pitched by Ex-rival Jared Cannonier in Reality Check for Undefeated UFC Star

The UFC middleweight division will never be the same again after the epic showdown earlier this month. The Qudos Bank Arena witnessed a landmark in MMA history, as the underdog Sean Strickland dethroned Israel Adesanya via a unanimous decision. It’s no surprise that soon after his upset win, speculation quickly turned to who the 185-pound Tarzan would face next to defend his title. With Strickland’s former opponent joining the fray, there is a lot more excitement and anticipation among the fans.

None other than UFC’s #4 middleweight star Jared Cannonier aka ‘The Killa Gorilla’ has recently chimed in and made certain bold allegations about his right to challenge Strickland to his first title defense. What’s more is that he has also taken a jab at the brewing popular opinion around Khamzat Chimaev’s shot as the number one title contender for ‘Tarzan.’ Given that if he beats Paulo Costa at UFC 294, of course. So, what’s ‘The Killa Gorilla’ saying? Let’s hear it from the man himself!

Sean Strickland’s ex-rival Jared Cannonier pitches Israel Adesanya’s fight

Jared Cannonier recently sat down for an interview with Ariel Helwani’s The MMA Hour. During their discussions, he made some compelling arguments about his claims for a middleweight title shot. ‘The Killa Gorilla’ declared, “My argument is that I’ve already beaten the champ. I just beat the number 3 guy. If you don’t want to give me the champ, give me the contender. That would be [Dricus] Du Plessis or Israel [Adesanya].” His assertion clearly stems from his previous victory over the reigning champion, Sean Strickland, who is lo longer the underdog he once was.  

The MMA community has been buzzing about Khamzat Chimaev’s potential as the number one title contender. However, ‘The Killa Gorilla’ holds a different perspective. He emphasized that Chimaev might be a strong contender in the welterweight division. Despite that, he also asserted, “Everybody’s talking about Chimaev as if he’s a contender, but he’s not! He may be a contender at welterweight. But at middleweight – it’s a different story.”

Read More: “He’s Punishing Him for the Nate Fight” – Fans React as Khamzat Chimaev Unloads on Dana White for Sitting Idle in the UFC

With these statements, Jared Cannonier has thrown his hat into the ring. Although nothing is yet certain about Strickland’s next fight, going head-on in his pursuit for the belt, Cannonier’s arguments clearly challenge the popular opinion about Chimaev.

Michael Bisping has a reality check in store for Cannonier

Recently, UFC Hall-of-Famer Michael Bisping has also weighed in on the middleweight division’s potential next contender. According to Bisping, it all hinges on the outcome of Khamzat Chimaev’s upcoming bout against Paulo Costa in Abu Dhabi. 

‘The Count’ argued, “If Khamzat wins, is he fighting for the [middleweight]belt next? Because I’ll tell you what Dricus Du Plessis won’t like it, Robert Whittaker won’t, Izzy won’t like it, Jared Cannonier won’t like it and Sean Strickland, he might not like it either.”

Moreover, he also emphasized that all the middleweight contenders are well aware of ‘Borz’s unbeaten UFC record. If Chimaev can replicate a similar performance against Paulo Costa, Bisping believes he could emerge as the front-runner for a title shot against ’Tarzan’. In Bisping’s view, “The reality is if Khamzat Chimaev goes out there and can do what he does to everybody else against Paulo Costa, man, there is your next contender for the middleweight title.”

As anticipation builds around the outcome of Chimaev vs. Costa at UFC 294, the middleweight division remains on high alert, awaiting the potential impact on the championship race. What do you think? Will Khamzat Chimaev repeat history and snatch the number one middleweight contender position? Drop your thoughts in the comments below!

Watch this Story: Is the Khamzat Chimaev vs. Paulo Costa Fight Happening on UFC 294?