Khamzat Chimaev isn’t going to wait around for Sean Strickland to accept his offer.
Earlier this month, Nassourdine Imavov offered to pay Strickland $500,000 to sign to fight him and put the middleweight title on the line.
This followed the current champion saying that he is not making his return later this year because he is unhappy with how much he’s making.
Chimaev also made an offer to Strickland and said he’d double this figure, though he’s not going to leave this potential deal on the table for much longer.
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If you were his manager, what would you advise Sean Strickland to do next?
Khamzat Chimaev suggests that Sean Strickland needs to accept his offer today
Khamzat Chimaev plans on tending to some injuries if the UFC don’t book him a fight by the end of this year.
It seems unlikely that he will get the next middleweight title shot, even after offering to pay Sean Strickland $1 million following his contract complaints.
Chimaev isn’t going to wait around for a fight or for his last opponent to accept this deal, with him recently adding a deadline to this pitch.
‘Borz’ told Red Corner MMA that he will still pay Strickland the money but added that this is only if he agrees to fight him tomorrow, meaning October 22.
Chimaev went on to suggest that this deadline might not be quite so definitive, saying that the offer will remain intact if the current champion agrees to fight him next.
He’s not going to leave this money on the table for Strickland to agree to in several years’ time because he believes their rematch will happen regardless at some stage.
“If he accepts tomorrow, yeah. He’s not accepting [it] after a couple of years, why should I pay? Anyway it’s gonna happen so if he accepts like next fight against me, I will pay.”
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Khamzat Chimaev says he’ll chase Sean Strickland up weight classes
When voicing issues with his current contract, Sean Strickland suggested he could vacate his title and compete in the remaining fights on his deal up at light heavyweight.
This won’t stop Khamzat Chimaev from pursuing a rematch with the controversial American.
“If he goes to 205, I go after him and take his head,” he told MMA Fighting. “I go straight up. If he goes to heavyweight, I go to heavyweight.”
Chimaev went on to clarify that he wouldn’t do this solely out of revenge.
He knows that the UFC would pay him well for this rematch so wants to pursue it regardless of which division it takes place in.
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