“The disrespect is crazy” – Fans in turmoil as reports of champion Sean Strickland asked to put belt on line against Khamzat Chimaev for short-notice fight surfaces

A bombshell report came out indicating that the UFC wanted Sean Strickland to put the middleweight championship on the line against Khamzat Chimaev.

“The disrespect is crazy” – Fans in turmoil as reports of champion Sean Strickland asked to put belt on line against Khamzat Chimaev for short-notice fight surfaces

UFC wanted Sean Strickland vs. Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 294 (via Instagram/Imago)

UFC 294 suffered a blow when Charles Oliveira and Paulo Costa withdrew due to injury. Alexander Volkanovksi and Kamaru Usman took the fight on short notice to save the card. However, a bombshell involving Sean Strickland came to light. The UFC apparently wanted Strickland to defend the middleweight title against Chimaev at UFC 294.

The bombshell report will likely anger the fanbase. Marc Raimondi of the ESPN broke the news. This is what he had to say:

Sean Strickland vs. Khamzat Chimaev was reportedly the UFC's original option to replace Paulo Costa, but Strickland turned it down.
Marc Raimondi tweeted on X (formerly known as Twitter)
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Strickland last fought at UFC 293 in September. The UFC wanted Strickland to defend his title on short notice against Chimaev in the co-main event of UFC 294. The news will not sit well with some fans. As of October 21, Chimaev has no wins over a ranked contender in the middleweight division. Hence, the prevailing logic remains that Chimaev does not deserve a title fight.

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However, Chimaev can challenge for the title if he defeats Usman at UFC 294. Dana White confirmed that the winner would likely get the next shot at the title. With Israel Adesanya taking a long break, the middleweight division will have new contenders aiming at the title. Fight fans can expect Sean Strickland to defend his title in the first quarter of 2023.

Fans react to the title fight news between Sean Strickland and Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 294

Marc Raimondo of ESPN reported that the UFC wanted Strickland to defend his title at UFC 294 to save the fight card. The fight card saw changes after Charles Oliveria and Paulo Costa withdrew due to injury. Fans did not appreciate the news. They went on the internet to react to the report. Check out some of the reactions on X:

Sean Strickland
Sean Strickland (Image Courtesy – Bloody Elbow)
https://twitter.com/225Drago/status/1715439400618766596

An overwhelming majority of the fanbase supported Strickland’s decision to decline the fight. They also accused the UFC of disrespecting their champion. Nevertheless, Usman vs. Chimaev remains an exciting fight.

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