Daniel Cormier is casting doubt about Sean Strickland receiving the next UFC middleweight title shot.
Prior to champion Dricus Du Plessis (22-2 MMA, 8-0 UFC) retaining his title with a fourth-round submission of Israel Adesanya (24-4 MMA, 13-4 UFC) in Saturday’s UFC 305 headliner, Dana White said Strickland deserves the winner. But with Robert Whittaker vs. Khamzat Chimaev taking place Oct. 26 at UFC 308, Cormier sees the winner of that fight potentially leapfrogging Strickland (29-6 MMA, 16-6 UFC).
“I think the worry for Sean Strickland is he beat Paulo Costa; Robert Whittaker has also beaten Paulo Costa,” Cormier said on “Good Guy/Bad Guy” with Chael Sonnen. “He’s also beaten (Ikram) Aliskerov. If he puts Chimaev behind him, I know he already lost to the champion, but it would make a very compelling argument that he should be next. He (Du Plessis) wants Robert Whittaker to win. He needs Robert Whittaker to win. …
“If Khamzat wins, now you’ve got something to worry about. Truly worry, because now you’ve got this undefeated guy, who for so many years now, we thought it was only a matter of time before he became a world champion. … Khamzat immediately looked like a guy who would be a champion, you could see it, and that would make me concerned if I’m Sean Strickland.”
Cormier didn’t hear too much conviction in White’s voice when dubbing Strickland as the No. 1 contender.
“He shouldn’t feel so good,” Cormier said. “Because when Dana speaks, he might go, ‘This guy’s next, this is who we have.’ But there’s a tone to his voice that makes you believe that what he’s telling you is certain. I didn’t hear that tone. I didn’t hear that for-sure tone that Sean Strickland (is next).
“He said it, yeah. ‘Well, we’ve got Sean Strickland. He’s the next guy in line.’ But when he is certain, it’s Sean Strickland vs. the winner of this fight, it doesn’t matter what happens down the line, he will tell you right to your face what’s happening. I don’t feel like we got that with Strickland, so I do believe that there’s room for Chimaev to work his way in there.”
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