"UFC snubs Khamzat Chimaev" - Fans erupt as Dricus du Plessis vs. Sean Strickland gets confirmed for February 2025 during live broadcast

Fans reacted to Sean Strickland getting the UFC middleweight title shot over Khamzat Chimaev. The commentary team announced Strickland as the next challenger for Dricus du Plessis during the UFC 310 broadcast on Dec. 7. The fight will take place in February 2025.

Speculations were rife about Chimaev potentially getting the next crack at the title, given his massive popularity and a dominant win over former champion Robert Whittaker. However, the UFC's recent announcement seems to have delivered a severe blow to Chimaev fans' aspirations.

Check out the fan reactions below:

Fan reactions

Chimaev, despite facing lingering health issues in recent years, returned to competition in October with a dominant first-round submission win over Whittaker in the UFC 308 co-main event. As one of the few wrestling-heavy fighters in the traditionally striker-dominated middleweight division, his unique style has attracted attention. He is undefeated in his professional MMA career, with a 4-0 record in the UFC middleweight division.

Many, including UFC color commentator and podcaster Joe Rogan, consider him to be the toughest challenge for champion du Plessis. While the South African fighter has a respectable ground game, there is a lot of intrigue surrounding his chances against Chimaev.

Du Plessis won the title with a split-decision win over Sean Strickland at UFC 297 in January and defended it against Israel Adesanya at UFC 305. Meanwhile, Strickland, off a victory over Paulo Costa, has relentlessly called for the du Plessis rematch.

Their second fight is expected to headline the UFC 312 pay-per-view event, which will take place on Feb. 8, 2025. The card will also feature UFC women's strawweight champion Zhang Weili defending her title against Tatiana Suarez. The event will take place at the Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, Australia.