Chael Sonnen is firmly backing Sean Strickland ahead of his UFC 328 showdown with Khamzat Chimaev, declaring the former champion as the only man who can stop the surging middleweight titleholder.
Strickland is set to face Chimaev in the UFC 328 main event on Saturday at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., where he enters as a big underdog against the reigning UFC middleweight champion.
Speaking on “The Ariel Helwani Show,” Sonnen made his stance clear. “Strickland is the last hope,” Sonnen said. “He is the last line of defense between the martial arts community and having to watch Chimaev for the next period of time. I remember warning the UFC, warning the UFC of the Russian invasion. I was warning them it's coming. The Russians are coming, and you are our only line of defense. Quit signing these guys.”
Sonnen continued, “Unless you want a whole bunch of guys coming in with beards and no mustaches, taking all your belts away, the only way to stop them is don't give them the opportunity. As a wrestler, I can tell you, this culture is a different level of toughness, and Strickland really is our last line of defense. If Chimaev penetrates Sean Strickland, you better get used to the Chimaev era, because it's not going anywhere anytime soon.”
Chimaev began his UFC run at welterweight and has teased a potential move to light heavyweight, while Islam Makhachev is described as the UFC welterweight champion and Khabib Nurmagomedov as a former UFC lightweight champion.
