Khamzat Chimaev Breaks Silence on Return, Hopes to Run It Back with Sean Strickland
Khamzat Chimaev is one of the UFC’s most popular fighters, following his dominant, undefeated run before UFC 328. Many expected his wrestling to overwhelm Sean Strickland, but relentless pressure and sharp striking changed everything inside the octagon.
Chimaev struggled to find consistent answers against Strickland’s pace, allowing momentum to shift throughout their shocking championship contest. Following the defeat, Chimaev’s intimidating aura has undoubtedly diminished, although fans still believe he can return stronger soon again decisively.
Recently, Chimaev was seen training with top lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan and was asked about his comeback. The Russian didn’t waste time before making his intentions clear about getting his revenge against Strickland.
“Nothing’s changed. We’re training, waiting for Strickland to come out of his house. Whenever they give me a fight, that’s when I’ll return. [I’m ready] even today,” said Khamzat Chimaev.
However, the current middleweight division is filled with other top fighters such as Dricus Du Plessis and Nassourdine Imavov. DDP recently beat Kamaru Usman and believes a trilogy with Strickland for the title makes sense.
On the other hand, Imavov is undefeated in the last five fights and has a personal grudge against the current champion. In a recent interview, the Frenchman mentioned that he’s next in line for the middleweight title shot.
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Jon Jones shares his opinion on Khamzat Chimaev’s recent loss
Staying undefeated in MMA for a long time is undoubtedly one of the hardest achievements, with only a handful of fighters ever accomplishing it. Other than Khabib Nurmagomedov, very few fighters have retired undefeated, while Jon Jones‘ only loss came through a controversial disqualification.
During a recent interview, the veteran shared his thoughts on Khamzat Chimaev losing his previously unbeaten record. “What I heard is that [Ilia] is humble, he’s honest, he realizes that he just didn’t perform well. That’s the #1 step of getting back into the ring in a healthy way. If I was Khamzat, I would work on my weaknesses. Maybe switch up your endurance routine, and spend more time on your back,” said Jon Jones via Red Corner MMA.
Khamzat Chimaev and Ilia Topuria were both looking unstoppable before losing their streak this year. It would be interesting to see when both superstars will make their comeback.
READ MORE: Magomed Ankalaev TKOes Bogdan Guskov at UFC Abu Dhabi, Calls Out Alex Pereira for Trilogy Fight
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