Belal Muhammad says he is anticipating a decisive performance from Khamzat Chimaev when he faces Sean Strickland for the middleweight title at UFC 328 in May.
The former welterweight champion weighed in on the matchup following confirmation that former champion Strickland will receive the next title shot against Chimaev, setting up a bout driven in part by their ongoing rivalry. The contest comes after Strickland rebounded from a loss to Dricus du Plessis with a TKO victory over Anthony Hernandez earlier this year.
“The thing I’m excited for is to see Chimaev smash him and walk through him,” Muhammad said on his YouTube channel, according to MMA Fighting. “I think that’s what it’s going to be. I think he’s going to be able to take him down, control him, and I’m hoping cut him open a little bit, let him bleed a little bit, and then break him mentally, and tap him out.”
Muhammad suggested the matchup has gained traction not only due to rankings but also because of the personalities involved, pointing to Strickland’s outspoken style as a factor in securing the opportunity.
“You’ve got to be loud,” Muhammad said. “I think we just saw with Imavov that wins aren’t enough. It’s going to be the loudest one in the room that’s going to get the — squeaky wheel gets the oil.”
The booking means Chimaev will look to defend his position at the top of the division against a former champion seeking to reclaim the belt for a second time, in what is expected to be one of the promotion’s marquee matchups of the year — and comes amid speculation that Nassourdine Imavov, winner of five straight in the Octagon, might have been next in line.
“Sucks for [Nassourdine ] Imavov,” Muhammad said. “You’ve got to feel for him. I thought he earned the title shot. I thought that he was going to get the title shot, but I think the trash talk, and the stupidity, and the era we live in now, where Strickland talks his way into a title shot. You know it’s going to get people to want to talk, to want to view, especially with Chimaev. You know they’re going to go back and forth.”
UFC 328 is scheduled for May, with the outcome of Chimaev versus Strickland set to shape the immediate future of the middleweight title picture.
