UFC 294 last weekend brought up a lot of talking points after its conclusion. Among the numerous topics discussed, was what would be next for Khamzat Chimaev after his win over Kamaru Usman. Similarly, the topic of a fight with Sean Strickland has also been thrown around.
Recently, Chimaev took on former welterweight champ Kamaru Usman, who stepped in on short notice. Originally, Chimaev was meant to face Paulo Costa, who was reportedly not allowed to fight owing to an unhealed elbow injury. However, the UAE-based fighter did his job and secured a majority decision over a tough opponent. Following the victory, many began talking about a potential title shot next for Chimaev.
Recently, former UFC fighter Sam Alvey also weighed in on the potential fight and spilled some tea as well. “By the way, Khamzat and Sean have sparred before and Khamzat is not allowed to spar Sean anymore, my management is saying. So, I’ll make some money on that fight too I think.” Judging by his comments, it is clear that Alvey favors Khamzat to win the fight, however, he did not exactly disclose why.
Previously, we’ve known that ‘Tarzan’ and Khamzat have sparred together. Although it wasn’t ideal and Strickland wasn’t particularly impressed with the Chechnya-born fighter, there wasn’t much revealed to the public. As such, Alvey seems to have insider knowledge as to what went down behind the scenes between the two fighters.
Why is Khamzat Chimaev not allowed to spar Sean Strickland?
For the most part, Strickland is known for his intensity during sparring and has been seen knocking out people with head kicks and hard punches. However, as per Strickland, Khamzat is reportedly a bigger menace and tends to injure other fighters on occasion. As such, the middleweight champ has also reprimanded the surging contender many times.
In the past, both fighters sparred alongside each other at the Xtreme Couture gym in Las Vegas. In a behind-the-scenes video, Strickland was seen telling the former Swedish national to approach sparring with more caution. Here, the American made it clear to Khamzat that he was better than everybody, and did not need to hurt anyone to prove it. Moreover, Strickland also made a point about not going overboard or treating people like ‘punching bags’.
Khamzat Chimaev doesn’t see UFC champ Sean Strickland as much of a threat.
Full story: https://t.co/BmPZmwiRmo pic.twitter.com/eL940844OH
— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) October 21, 2023
Recently, the newly crowned champion also brought up a squabble between himself and Khamzat. Having misunderstood a compliment, Chimaev wanted to fight Strickland. However, after understanding what he really meant, Chimaev backed off. At the same time, ‘Borz’ has been calling for Strickland since his latest victory claiming he can easily beat him. Additionally, Chimaev himself has hinted at something that went on in their sparring by saying, “Don’t worry you know haw [how] fast I can finish you.”
Thus, taking into consideration what Sean and Chimaev have disclosed, one can put two and two together and imagine what likely happened during their spar. If the rumors are to be believed, Strickland got beat during their spar, and Chimaev wants to repeat the same. Although Sean believes that the #9 ranked contender needs to prove himself, Chimaev’s title shot might come sooner than expected.