Is Sean Strickland ready for a title shot? That’s been the question since ‘Tarzan’ knocked out a dangerous Anthony Hernandez in the UFC Houston main event. After the brutal finish, the former middleweight champion didn’t waste a second before calling out Khamzat Chimaev on the mic. But, as Strickland believes he’s ready for another crack at gold, the Nevada native’s loss to an ex-champ came back to haunt him.

Following Strickland’s victory in Houston, former welterweight champ Kamaru Usman’s long-time manager, Ali Abdelaziz, decided to take a dig at ‘Tarzan’ by posting a photo of their previous clash on social media.

Ali Abdelaziz reminds Sean Strickland of his loss vs Kamaru Usman

“@USMAN84kg yeah I must’ve forgot,” Ali Abdelaziz posted on X with a picture of ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ landing a proper jab at Strickland from their UFC 210 bout.

Before the Nevada slugger became a middleweight, he started his UFC journey competing in the welterweight division. As a 170-pounder, Sean Strickland faced Kamaru Usman at the UFC 210: Cormier vs Johnson 2 prelims, in which ‘the Nigerian Nightmare’ secured a dominating unanimous decision victory. That clash became a pivotal moment for ‘Tarzan’ as he took only a couple of fights as a welterweight before moving up. 

Well, after 9 years since that fight, Abdelaziz reminded everyone once again of that lopsided win, stirring the pot at just the right time. As Strickland is eyeing a title shot against Khamzat Chimaev, there’s a real chance that Usman might try to steal his position by making a sudden jump to the middleweight division.

Recently, the former 170 lbs champ laid out a 2026 plan where he clearly expressed his goal to become a two-division champion before he retires. In that case, sooner or later, Usman could think about testing that division once again. He already took ‘Borz’ to an impressive majority decision at UFC 294. So, who knows? The Nigerian might pull off a victory on his next attempt. That said, he clearly preferred to get the 170 lbs crown back before making that switch.  

Now, as both fighters are eyeing a shot at the gold, there’s definitely a question lingering among fans. Do they actually deserve a title shot? The answer may or may not surprise you. 

Evaluating ‘Tarzan’ and ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’s title expectations

There’s not an ounce of doubt that Sean Strickland made a stellar comeback at UFC Houston. Beating a surging contender like ‘Fluffy,’ Anthony Hernandez, in front of a booing crowd was nothing short of a spectacle. However, even with that victory, ‘Tarzan’ shouldn’t fight Khamzat Chimaev for the belt, and there’s a reason for it.

The former middleweight champion just suffered two back-to-back losses against Dricus du Plessis, both of which happened during championship fights. And before facing the middleweight champ again, Strickland would at least need a win streak going for himself, so there’s no doubt about his credibility. Moreover, Nassourdine Imavov is currently the favorite to face ‘Borz’ next. So, meanwhile, ‘Tarzan’ can definitely set himself up for a rematch against Brendan Allen, who just got a stellar victory over Reinier de Ridder.

In that case, if the ex-185 kingpin wins two in a row, then a shot against Chimaev would make far more sense. On the other hand, Kamaru Usman is in a really interesting spot. If we look at his record column, the welterweight legend is 1-3 in his last four fights, with his latest win being against Joaquin Buckley last year. But ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ still has an edge over the competition, especially since the champ has shown interest in clashing against him. Would that fast-track Usman to a title shot? We don’t know.

Even so, he should look forward to getting at least one win over a prime contender like Michael Morales to cement his next move, while Ian Garry vs Islam  Makhachev happens. With those matchups, both fighters can realistically become eligible for a chance at gold in their respective weight divisions.

And if they win gold with whatever opportunity they get, there’s always the possibility of seeing that iconic rematch from UFC 210 once again. That said, what do you think? Could the stars align for Kamaru Usman vs Sean Strickland 2?