Sean Strickland leapfrogged Nassourdine Imavov for the title shot against Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 328. So, following Strickland's victory, Imavov immediately called out his former opponent to a rematch.
He even threatened to make the middleweight champion 'pay' for his alleged insults towards the Frenchman's religion.
However, Chimaev's shouts for a rematch have complicated matters in the middleweight title picture. Despite seeming to squash his rivalry with the American at the Prudential Centre, 'Borz' has issued multiple callouts since, even alleging foul play was responsible for his first-ever MMA loss. Moreover, UFC CEO Dana White's recent revelations have made things more interesting if also a little confusing.
The veteran promoter has completely gone back on his earlier statements regarding the former champion's future. He had revealed earlier that the Chechen requested a move up in weight to 205lbs after his loss in Newark. However, now, White has confessed that the UFC isn't sure of its next move after 'Borz' made it clear that he wants a rematch against Strickland next.
Khamzat is asking for the rematch with Strickland. That's what he wants. We don't know what we're gonna do yet.
Dana White told Bret BooneAmid all this, Imavov, who was confirmed to be next for a title shot by Sean Strickland, put up a cryptic post to clarify the situation. The 31-year-old said that he believed the UFC would honor past deals, tagging executive Mick Maynard in an X post. The Frenchman also hinted at the aforementioned post where he threatened his former rival over the comments he made about Islam during his feud with Borz.
Plenty of talk around the championship fight lately. I believe everyone will stand on what they said #hunter @Mickmaynard2 #nohappyending @SStricklandMMA
Nassourdine Imavov via XAway from all this, Sean Strickland seems to be living his best life, enjoying some well-earned rest with his wife after 6 months of training camp. Despite all the turmoil in his division, the middleweight champion is on side quests.
The middleweight champion recently showed up at an event hosted by Adin Ross' Brand Risk promotions, while also keeping up collaborations with other creators.
However, in typical fashion for the American middleweight, he wasn't able to keep trouble away for long as he compared himself to arguably the greatest middleweight ever.
Anderson Silva had a legendary UFC career, going undefeated for 16 fights between 2006 and 2013. This record still stands with only Islam Makhachevequaling it at UFC 322 after beating Jack Della Maddalena. Silva is widely regarded as the greatest middleweight of all time, with 10 consecutive defenses adorning his lengthy winning streak. Even so, Sean Strickland believes he would beat the 'Spider.'
Strickland alleges that MMA has evolved so drastically that even in their prime, legends like the Spider would fall to the wayside. 'Tarzan' made this polarizing statement while conversing with Nina Drama.
I'd [expletive] him up. I think there's a big level difference now. If you could take Anderson Silva and bring him into modern times…every generation gets better and better. So, that's kind of one of those hard fights to say would I beat this guy up? Well, yeah. Naturally, the sport is getting better.
Sean Strickland via NinaDramaThese comments from the two-time middleweight champion drew a lot of ire from fans of the UFC legend. Many netizens pushed back hard against the 35-year-old's claims. They alleged that the Brazilian legend would make quick work of him if they ever fought in their primes. That said, given Strickland's propensity for upset victories, he may just be getting overlooked in this matchup.
The American is one of only two middleweights to successfully recapture the 185lbs belt. Moreover, the quality of the opponents that 'Tarzan' has faced far outclasses the ones Silva faced back in the day. So, a fight between the two legends may just be closer than the fan reactions to the current middleweight champion's divisive take may indicate.
Nonetheless, this debate will rage on perpetually with no real way to settle it. Even so, the identity of the American's next challenger is one dispute that is settled as far as Nassourdine Imavov is concerned. However, it remains to be seen whether the UFC honors its apparent deal with the Frenchman whenever Sean Strickland is ready to defend his title.
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