Sean Strickland had plenty to say about Khamzat Chimaev’s stated intention to move to light heavyweight after they clash for the middleweight title in the UFC 328 main event.
Chimaev is scheduled to defend his middleweight belt against Strickland on Saturday at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., and has indicated he plans to go up to 205 pounds following the bout. Speaking at Wednesday's UFC 328 media day, Strickland weighed in on what could be waiting for Chimaev at light heavyweight.
“Ankalaev would be a f*cking fight,” Strickland said, referencing former champion Magomed Ankalaev, whom he has sparred with. He added: “Ankalaev, I think, beats Chimaev any day of the week. Ankalaev will probably be the next champion, hands down. It's crazy that Alex (Pereira beat him). That's how you know that you deserve your ranking and you are a champion because you beat Ankalaev. Ankalaev is probably one of the best 205'ers I've ever sparred.”
Strickland also shared his broader view of the light heavyweight field compared to his own division. “I think light heavyweight is probably a significantly easier division right now than middleweight,” he said, even joking about his own future: “I mean f*ck, I should move up to the light heavyweight division. It would be way easier than f*cking middleweight. This is a known thing in the industry: There's a skill gap as you go up (divisions).”
Chimaev enters UFC 328 with a 15-0 MMA record and 9-0 UFC record, while Strickland brings a 30-7 MMA mark and 17-7 UFC slate. Both began their UFC runs at welterweight.
