Training partner reveals how different Khamzat Chimaev is from Sean Strickland in a sparring session

Khamzat Chimaev, currently ranked No. 3 in the UFC middleweight division, has emerged as a potential title contender. UFC CEO Dana White has hinted that Chimaev could bypass Sean Strickland, the division’s No. 1 contender, for a title fight against champion Dricus du Plessis.

Strickland, who lost his title to du Plessis in January, has since defeated Paulo Costa via decision in a performance criticized for its lack of excitement. In contrast, Chimaev’s dominant victory over Robert Whittaker at UFC 308 has boosted his title aspirations.

Amid the uncertainty surrounding the next title challenger, UFC middleweight Caio Borralho compared the sparring styles of Chimaev and Strickland during an interview with Inside Fighting's Mike Owens. He said:

“Different styles you know Strickland tremendous gas tank good striking, always puts pressure, all the time and other side Khamzat puts pressure, all the time, but with his grappling. So definitely I cannot say who is the hardest, but both are definitely hard guys to spar.”

Check out Caio Borralho's comment below (13:27):

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Bo Nickal explains Khamzat Chimaev callouts

UFC middleweight sensation Bo Nickal has his sights set on one of the most feared fighters in the division, Khamzat Chimaev. Fresh off a unanimous decision win over Paul Craig at UFC 309, Nickal is undeterred by critics who claim he underperformed by failing to secure a finish.

Nickal, known for his wrestling pedigree, addressed the rationale behind targeting Chimaev on the Pound 4 Pound podcast with Kamaru Usman and Henry Cejudo:

"My goal has always been to be, you know, UFC champion, pound-for-pound number one fighter in the world. And so when I call out guys like Khamzat [Chimaev], that's because I think that he's really good and I want to fight the best guys."

Nickal added:

"I think that this last fight [against Paul Craig], even though people didn't love the performance, was a great step in the right direction. I dominated a veteran, a guy who has 26 fights for three straight rounds with just using striking... I think people now are saying 'Oh, Bo, no he can't wrestle.' This or that. Bro, trust me, I can wrestle."

Check out Bo Nickal's comments on potentially fighting Khamzat Chimaev (23:38):