Jorge Masvidal is betting big on a huge upset at UFC 328.
Sean Strickland will enter the cage for Saturday’s main event in Newark, New Jersey, as a significant underdog.
The polarizing American is tasked with doing something no man has in MMA so far — beating Chechen phenom Khamzat Chimaev.
But not only is ‘Gamebred’ expecting Strickland to leave the Prudential Center as the new UFC middleweight champion, he’s expecting the challenger to get things done inside the distance.
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If Khamzat Chimaev wins at UFC 328, what would you like to see him do next?
‘Borz’ has consistently spoken about wanting to move up to 205 pounds
Jorge Masvidal is betting on Sean Strickland to finish Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 328
Strickland will challenge Chimaev in the UFC 328 headliner following an intense fight week filled with animosity.
The time for talking will soon be over, as the American’s second opportunity to become a two-time champion at 185 pounds fast approaches.
On a recent Bloody Elbow poll, 39 percent of fans picked Strickland to leave UFC 328 with the middleweight gold.
And Masvidal apparently has little doubt that the other 61 percent are wrong with their predictions.
“I’ve got my money on Chimaev losing,” Masvidal said during the latest episode of Paramount’s Deep Waters podcast alongside Dustin Poirier and Din Thomas.
“I’ve got Strickland all day. I’ve been saying it the whole time… The guys that are close to Chimaev in that realm, Strickland has handled them well. It’s really hard to hold this guy down. I’ve seen it with my own eyes.
“Chimaev has never fought (anybody) like that,” he continued. “I’ve dumped some money on Strickland finishing it.
“I’m saying he finishes him… As long as he doesn’t get submitted in that first round, I’m even dumping more money. They’ve got those live bet apps now.
“I’m gonna pay off this Disney vacation I’m taking my kids on (from) Strickland (winning).”
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Masvidal’s one-sided assessment comes despite Chimaev’s dominant performance against Dricus du Plessis last August to become champion.
It remains to be seen whether ‘Borz’ will employ a similar grappling approach for his first defense, having come under fire for a ‘boring’ strategy at UFC 319 last August.
If he chooses to prioritize entertaining the masses on Saturday, there could be openings for Strickland to exploit.
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