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A former two-time UFC middleweight title contender believes the middleweight title is far from Sean Strickland's grasp.
During a recent segment on his YouTube channel, Chael Sonnen hinted that 'Tarzan's' plans for a rematch against Dricus du Plessis have been halted in their tracks since Robert Whittaker and Khamzat Chimaev have been paired up for a No.1 contender fight:
"There is not really a way to look at this map where you leave him out. Ok, great, the next best thing, right?... When you can't get what you want, get the next best thing. [That] would be a No.1 contender's fight, but it would appear that Whittaker and Chimaev have captured that spot."
Catch Chael Sonnen's comments on Sean Strickland below (6:30):
'The Reaper' and Chimaev are set to lock horns in a No.1 contender matchup on the UFC's inaugural fight card in Saudi Arabia on June 22 at the Kingdom Arena.
'Borz' is undefeated in his career and most recently clinched a majority decision win over former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman. Meanwhile, Whittaker earned a unanimous decision win over Paulo Costa in his most recent fight at UFC 298.
However, Sonnen has two theories on how Strickland fits into the 185 pounds division.
He believes 'Tarzan' will either serve as the backup fighter for the rumored Dricus du Plessis vs. Israel Adesanya fight card at UFC 305 in Perth or be paired up against rising star Bo Nickal in his next.
Sean Strickland wants to run it back with Dricus du Plessis
Sean Strickland is convinced he was robbed of a win at UFC 297 against Dricus Du Plessis and wants to run it back.
In the aftermath of the fight, many, including UFC CEO Dana White, opined that they thought 'Tarzan' deserved the judges' nod. However, the official scorecards reflected a split decision win for the South African.
During a recent interview with The Schmo, Strickland raged at the judges for being unfair towards him. while calling out 'Stillknocks' for a rematch, saying:
"We all know I won. I went to Canada, you guys. I went to Canada and fought in front of the commies, and they shafted me. Dricus wants it, I want it. Win the title like a man, my friend... Let's run this s**t back. Settle it like men. That's all I'm trying to say."
Catch Sean Strickland's comments below (0:42):
