Chael Sonnen discussed Sean Strickland‘s reaction to Khamzat Chimaev‘s UFC 308 victory, noting Strickland’s confidence in being the next contender despite Chimaev’s impressive performance and Dana White’s previous statements about Strickland facing du Plessis.
Chael Sonnen wasted no time reaching out to Sean Strickland after Khamzat Chimaev’s jaw-dropping win at UFC 308. In the co-main event, Chimaev bulldozed through former middleweight champ Robert Whittaker. Sonnen, chatting with Daniel Cormier, shared a text from Strickland about Chimaev’s stellar performance.
"’How locked in were you, Sean?’ That’s what I asked him," Sonnen revealed on Good Guy / Bad Guy. "I even told him, ‘You’ll make me look good if you give me an exclusive quote.’" Eventually, Strickland responded.
Strickland declared, "I’m next in line. It’s been said; it’s been written." A bit cryptic, right? He added, "After I beat Dricus up, Chimaev can step up. Sure, he’s a contender, but I’ve got Dricus first." Then came the zinger: "The man who scammed his fans and cozied up to a dictator needs to tighten his leash. Hey Chimaev, sit down and wait your turn."
Dana White has consistently stated that Strickland is next for du Plessis. Back in January at UFC 297, du Plessis snagged the middleweight title in a nail-biter decision. Fast forward to August at UFC 305, he stopped Israel Adesanya in his first defense. Meanwhile, Strickland took down Paulo Costa in June at UFC 302.
With Chimaev’s recent victory, it’d be totally understandable if White and the UFC decided to shake things up. Sonnen noted Chimaev’s impressive feat: "His second win over [former] world champions in as many fights—oh, and by the way—from two different weight classes: Kamaru Usman and Robert Whittaker."
Amazing stuff indeed! But as far as Sonnen knows, Sean Strickland is still next in line.