Two former UFC champions recently debated who should face middleweight king Dricus du Plessis next.
In the co-main event of UFC 308, Chimaev demonstrated relentless pressure, quickly taking Whittaker to the ground and applying a fierce face crank that forced a tap-out. This performance extended Chimaev’s undefeated record to 14-0 and heightened his status as a title threat.
In a recent edition of the Pound 4 Pound podcast, Henry Cejudo argued that Chimaev should leapfrog Sean Strickland for the next title shot:
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"Get rid of Sean Strickland and give Khamzat Chimaev that damn title shot."
Kamaru Usman, however, questioned if bypassing Strickland is feasible, given that UFC CEO Dana White previously announced 'Tarzan' as du Plessis’ next challenger. Cejudo insisted:
"There is no contract signed."
According to Cejudo, Chimaev’s all-action style contrasts sharply with Strickland’s recent fight with Paulo Costa, which he dismissed as a “snooze fest.”
Check out Henry Cejudo's comments below:
Check out the complete episode of the podcast below:
Joe Rogan also endorsed Khamzat Chimaev for title shot against Dricus du Plessis
Joe Rogan voiced his support for Khamzat Chimaev’s title shot contention after the fighter’s impressive victory over Robert Whittaker at UFC 308.
In a dominant display, 'Borz' submitted Whittaker in the first round, leaving the former champion with a jaw injury. Rogan, discussing the fight on his 'JRE Fight Companion' podcast with Bryan Callen, Brendan Schaub, and Eddie Bravo, highlighted Chimaev's extraordinary grappling skills and aggression, calling him a “beast.”
Rogan said:
''That guy’s [Chimaev] a scary a** motherf**ker. That grappling is next level. He’s a beast... Once he gets a hold of you, it’s so dangerous... You give him the title shot. Holy sh*t. He gets a title shot, I think. Not just [beating Whittaker in the first round], but ran through him. He didn’t get touched. He ran through him and strangled him in the first round. He might be the guy...Think about this at [185 pounds]. So this guy was killing himself to get to 170. At 185, he’s the f**king man.”
Check out Joe Rogan's comments below (2:07:28):