Khamzat Chimaev only wants to fight for the middleweight title next, regardless of the opponent.
Advertisement
Chimaev cleared every shadow of doubt about his elite skillset with a dominant first-round submission win over former champ Robert Whittaker in the co-main event at UFC 308 on Saturday at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.The undefeated Chechen-born Swede made a legitimate case for a title shot with his bonus-winning performance in a matchup that was billed as a potential title eliminator. However, standing in his way is Sean Strickland, who has been insistent on fighting for the title next.
After losing his strap to Dricus Du Plessis via a controversial split decision at UFC 297 this past January, Strickland bounced back with a split-decision win over Paulo Costa at UFC 302 in June. While Dana White had previously promised Strickland the next shot, he said he’ll need some time to think after Chimaev’s win over “Bobby Knuckles.” Strickland meanwhile, l…