“He works hard, he deserves it,” Khamzat Chimaev vows to come for Sean Strickland shortly after crediting fighter’s road to champion

UFC star Khamzat Chimaev calls Sean Strickland's UFC 293 victory a 'deserving one' after praising the middleweight champion for his hardwork and dedication.

“He works hard, he deserves it,” Khamzat Chimaev vows to come for Sean Strickland shortly after crediting fighter’s road to champion

Khamzat Chimaev and Sean Strickland (Source: IMAGO)

UFC 293 came as a surprise for every MMA fan as Sean Strickland gave the world one of the biggest upsets in the UFC. His win against Israel Adesanya defied all odds to make him the new middleweight champion. However, a fellow middleweight has his eyes set on gold. UFC star Khamzat Chimaev has expressed his opinion on Sean Strickland’s win and his desire to compete for the title.

Chimaev, in an Instagram video, said that “Strickland! Coming for him. If you stay there man coming for you too. He works hard, deserves it. The guy is always in the gym. Now he got the belt. He has a good team, a good coach. I have been there training with the guy. They deserve that belt. He has been active, fights with everybody.” Further, Chimaev continued, “I don’t know why the UFC is waiting. Give that chance to me. They are hiding that belt from me. Anyway, Like I said when I smash everybody, they have to give that belt to me.“

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Chimaev will take on fellow middleweight Paulo Costa at UFC 294. The fight between the two will be the co-main event. Reports suggest that a possible title contender could arise from this matchup. A winner from this matchup or Dricus Du Plessis looks like the most probable challengers for the title. This fight surrounds a lot of hype as both Costa and Chimaev have expressed their disliking before the fight.

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Chimaev has just had one bout in the middleweight division of the UFC, which didn’t last long. Due to his weight miss at UFC 279, Chimaev fought Kevin Holland at the event. ‘Borz’ was able to submit his opponent in the first round itself.

Related: WATCH: “Too weak brother,” Khamzat Chimaev gives his best shot on power punching machine

Khamzat Chimaev leaves Sweden and emigrates to UAE

UFC star Khamzat Chimaev’s birthplace is Gvardeyskoye in the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria, which was later known as Chechen Republic. However, at the age of 18, to pursue a wrestling career, Chimaev came to Sweden with his mother. Ever since then, the country has been his home.

Khamzat Chimaev(Image courtesy: MMA Fighting)

However, in recent reports, Chimaev’s manager Majdi Shammas confirmed that ‘Borz’ has switched his nationality to become a United Arab Emirates citizen. Further, Chimaev’s coach has also stated that Khamzat is not a Swedish national anymore. This decision was taken despite Sweden’s dual nationality rule. The rule allows a citizen to hold citizenship of two nations simultaneously. However, there are no reports which confirm that Chimaev has opted for dual citizenship.

The fighter is set to fight at UFC 294 in Abu Dhabi on October 22. His matchup against Paulo Costa has caught a lot of eyes and is also one of the most hyped middleweight fights in the UFC.

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