Khamzat Chimaev is on a roll in the UFC. Boasting an unblemished record, who could withstand the Chenchen storm? Former middleweight champions Dricus du Plessis and Robert Whittaker failed to stop him. So, who’s next? As it seems, it will be another former 185-pound kingpin challenging to dethrone Chimaev.

“Whoever is managing Sean’s schedule needs to cancel all his podcast recordings after May 9 because you can’t talk into a mic with a wired shut jaw,” wrote Adam Zubayraev on X.

Zubayraev is one of the standout MMA journalists from Russia. Over the years, he has built a strong camaraderie with the likes of Islam Makhachev, Khabib Nurmagomedov, and even ‘Borz’, through his interviews and podcast sessions. Now, in his latest X post, he brutally slammed Sean Strickland.

And surely, Zubayraev may have the reasons for it. As such, since his victory over Anthony Hernandez at UFC Houston, ‘Tarzan’ has been very vocal about wanting a title shot. To that end, Strickland is mocking and indirectly levying allegations against Chimaev of being part of violent military groups.

Notably, this is nothing new. Time and again, ‘Tarzan’ has spoken against people coming from the Russian and neighboring regions. But this time, they seemingly had enough. And in the process, Zubayraev may have leaked Strickland’s upcoming bout against ‘Borz’.

He noted that May 9 could be the possible date, which aligns with the UFC 328 event, which will go down at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. That said, even Chimaev wanted to make his first title defense against Strickland. Not only that, but even ‘Tarzan’ in a separate Instagram post, teased that he’s fighting for the belt next.

So, the latest leak from Zubayraev is ultimately fueling the rumors surrounding their upcoming fight. On that note, who actually has the upper hand in this potential fight? According to an ex-BMF champion, it’s Strickland.

Jorge Masvidal asserts confidence in Sean Strickland to beat Khamzat Chimaev

Khamzat Chimaev has been on a dominating run in the UFC, with finishes and unanimous decision victories. However, there is one fight where he seemingly struggled. And it was none other than the UFC 294 bout against Kamaru Usman.

Although Chimaev beat Usman via majority decision, it showed holes in his fighting style as ‘Borz’ struggled in the later rounds. Citing that performance, former UFC BMF champion Jorge Masvidal places his bet on Sean Strickland in a potential fight against Chimaev.

“I don’t think Khamzat is all that good,” said Masvidal on the Deathrow podcast. “I don’t think Khamzat is all that good. Look at the Usman fight. Usman was 170 lbs, took the fight on 11 days’ notice, and I thought Chimaev lost that fight. I don’t think Khamzat beats Strickland. I’m putting all my money on Strickland for that one. I’m dumping the house on Strickland.”

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Even though Chimaev struggled against Usman, one cannot overlook his performance against Dricus du Plessis, where he controlled the bout for over 21 minutes. That said, the upcoming UFC middleweight championship fight between ‘Borz’ and Strickland is yet to be announced.

If it actually comes to fruition, do you think Strickland’s more than a decade-long experience could outclass Chimaev? Let us know in the comments below!