Khamzat Khimaev torn ahead of UFC 328? Former champion suggests internal conflict

The former UFC champion points out that Khamzat Khimaev may be measuring himself not only against his rival, but also against his own head before his bout with Sean Strickland at UFC 328.

The clash for the middleweight belt promises to be one of the biggest events of the year. Chimaev, who reached for the title at UFC 319, will face a defense of the trophy against the former champion. For “Borz” it’s not only another fight, but also a chance to finally close the tense rivalry with Strickland.

For weeks, one of the main topics around this matchup has been the question of whether the American will survive the first minutes. Chimaev has accustomed fans to a lightning-fast pace and aggression from the first seconds, as he proved in clashes with Dricus du Plessis and Kevin Holland.

On the other side stands a fighter famous for his capabolic capacity and resilience. And it is this aspect that may play a key role.

Sterling sees question mark on champion’s side

In an interview with Home of Fight, former cockfighting category champion Aljamain Sterling made no secret of the fact that the duel may have a very different course than many expect.

– If Strickland survives the beginning, it gets really hot. I think Khamzat is in a bit of a rift right now,” he assessed.

– He has to decide whether to move at full power and try to finish the fight right away. However, he knows that if that doesn’t work, he could be tired in the later rounds. And with someone like Strickland, that’s a huge problem. He is an uncomfortable opponent, even a nightmare. That’s why this fight is so interesting. Khamzat can close it out in the first round, but Strickland has arguments to take control later. A decision is also not out of the question….

Sterling made it clear that despite the champion side’s favorite status, there are more scenarios.

– Khamzat is the favorite, and everyone knows why. Sean, however, knows very well what he is up against. It’s a very difficult challenge, but can he win? Of course he can. Winning is certainly not a 100 percent certainty for Khamzat,” he concluded.