Both Belal Muhammad and Neil Magny have recently issued callouts to Khamzat Chimaev. UFC middleweight Sean Strickland has now weighed in on potential matchups between 'Borz' and the two ranked welterweights.
According to Strickland, Chimaev would absolutely walk through Muhammad and Magny if either of the fights came to fruition. Strickland also acknowledged that he likes 'The Haitian Sensation' as a person.
'Tarzan' claimed to share a mindset with Khamzat Chimaev, which sets him apart from other fighters. Strickland, who has experience training with Chimaev, told Helen Yee in a recent interview:
"I think he's gonna walk through Belal [Muhammad]. I like Neil Magny, he's a good dude. But like, I've trained with Khamzat, the guy's a parasite. Like, he's a great round. I think he destroys Belal, I think he walks through Neil. And again, I love Neil, he's a great guy. But Khamzat just has a different mindset. Me and him share a mindset when we train. Even in the gym. When we two are training, it's like we're fighting for a title. And that's something that Belal doesn't have, that not a lot of guys have. I think he just needs to fight a couple of top-10 guys and if he wins, flow him to the belt."
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Watch Sean Strickland's interview with Helen Yee below:
Belal Muhammad's callout to Khamzat Chimaev
Belal Muhammad earned a dominant decision victory over Stephen Thompson in the co-main event of UFC Vegas 45 last weekend. Muhammad expressed a desire to take on Khamzat Chimaev following his win over 'Wonderboy'.
According to 'Remember The Name', the hype around Chimaev right now can be compared to that of Conor McGregor. Belal Muhammad believes a win over 'Borz' is worth more than a win over higher-ranked contenders. In an interview with MMA Junkie, he said:
"He has the most hype in the division right now. He has that McGregor X-factor stardom right now, where the fans think he’s untouchable. The boss thinks he’s untouchable. They all think it’s just a matter of time before he becomes champion. So for me, if I beat him, I steal all of his hype and I think it’s worth more than beating anybody ranked in the division. Beating him is probably worth more than beating Colby Covington just because of all the hype he has right now."
Watch Belal Muhammad's interview with MMA Junkie below: