Sean Strickland’s reign as the UFC middleweight champion came to a stunning end at the hands of Dricus Du Plessis, leaving the outspoken fighter grappling with defeat. ‘DDP’ showcased relentless pressure with his unorthodox style, and while Strickland managed to find his rhythm, he failed to impress the judges. However, the decision had been a talking point for a long time and many felt ‘Tarzan’ won the fight and did enough to walk out as the champion. As the division’s champion Dricus Du Plessis looks for his next challenger, the stakes are higher than ever, with several fighters proving they have what it takes to claim the spotlight. It seems Anthony Hernandez has picked his favorite for this one.

Since losing the title, Sean Strickland bounced back with a win against Paulo Costa at UFC 302, with hopes of securing title shot But it seems he has found himself a new competitor in Khamzat Chimaev. ‘Borz’ returned to action at UFC 308 after struggling with his health for a long time, but made easy work of Robert Whittaker and impressed everyone with his performance. Even ‘Stillknocks’ was also impressed with ‘Borz’ and showed a desire to fight him. But Anthony Hernandez feels ‘Tarzan’ deserves a chance because of their last fight.

“As far as who deserves it, I think Strickland because he and Du Plessis had a f****ng very close fight, you know what I mean? Just, I think that him being the champ like how dominant he was over Adesanya that s**t automatically gave him that s**t back. That’s me personally what I think as him being the old champ. So, hopefully, he gets it, but I mean they have been hyping up Khamzat like crazy. And he has a big following, too, so I really don’t know, you know what I mean.? This is a numbers game it’s business at the end of the day.”, ‘Fluffy’ told InsideFighting.

The way the UFC machinery works, it seems likely that Khamzat Chimaev might get preference over Sean Strickland for a title shot. The reason for this is the fact that Chimaev has a fan-friendly style over Strickland and a matchup with ‘DDP’ could be a money-maker. The other reason is the South African divisional champ expressed an interest in the Chechen over the brash American fighter, who he already faced. Fans are eager to watch Chimaev and Du Plessis throw down, and among them is a former middleweight champion.

Robert Whittaker wants to see Khamzat Chimaev take on Dricus Du Plessis next

From the moment he stepped into the octagon, Khamzat Chimaev made it clear that he wasn’t just here to compete—he was here to conquer. His rapid rise through multiple weight classes has left fans and opponents alike in awe of his skill set. The 30-year-old has been competing in the UFC for six years now and is still unbeaten. His dominance has now caught the attention of the division’s champion who wants to welcome the challenge of facing the Chechen fighter.

Robert Whittaker also agrees with this particular match-up and in a recent interview shared his opinion on the whole. ‘The Reaper’ is the latest of Chimaev’s victims and has felt the pressure of the Chechen fighter. The former champion not only tapped out in the first round but also suffered a broken jaw at the hands of ‘Borz’. Impressed with his performance Whittaker now wants him to go for the title and during the ‘MMArcade’ podcast said, “I think you [Khamzat] should go straight to Dricus you know. I don’t think sitting out should be rewarded ever right? But not my call.” 

Who do you think deserves the title shot between Sean Strickland and Khamzat Chimaev? Do you agree with Anthony Hernandez or Robert Whittaker on this front? Sound off in the comments below.