Dana White has just made a stunning announcement regarding next year’s fight card, and to everyone’s amazement, Khamzat Chimaev has been overlooked by the UFC CEO. Instead, it will be Dricus Du Plessis who will be squaring off against the reigning champion, Sean Strickland, for the middleweight title.

The combat community did not anticipate this decision by White, as Chimaev was expected to face Strickland for the title. White had promised that the winner of the Chimaev vs. Kamaru Usman fight would receive the next title shot. So, what has changed? Chael Sonnen’s opinion is that there is more to it than just Chimaev’s injury.

Chael Sonnen questions Khamzat Chimaev’s mysterious absence from UFC event

Khamzat Chimaev was originally slated to headline the January event against Sean Strickland, but there was looming uncertainty due to his injured fists, which had been broken during his fight with Kamaru Usman. However, ‘Borz’ had stated that he was ready to face Strickland. Both fighters even began exchanging banter with each other, and the community believed that they were going to face each other for sure.

But Dana White announced the cards excluding Chimaev from the cards out of the blue. It came as a shock and Chael Sonnen believes that there might be something more than Chimaev’s injured fists. Sonnen in his YouTube video emphasized why Chimaev was excluded. ‘The American Gangster’ said ” What happened to Chimaev? Where do we go with all that? There could be an answer, but getting those answers is very difficult.” 

Sonnen further added “Chimaev doesn’t give us a lot, and there’s a rule in politics: if somebody is saying something about you and it’s not true, you must correct it. You must, or there will be a perception that it is true, and perception becomes reality, right? A lie told enough times becomes a truth. In spite of that fact and psychological reasoning, Chimeav still doesn’t come out and correct it.”

‘The American Gangster’ stated that Chimaev’s absence might not put a dent in the card but if Chimaev doesn’t clarify the rumors surrounding him then it will hamper his status. Or at least Sonnen believes that and more.

Analysis of Chael Sonnen’s perspective on Khamzat Chimaev

Sonnen speculates that Chimeav may have been injured, possibly with a broken hand, but there is no concrete evidence. Both Chimaev and Strickland knew that the winner between Usman and Jamv would fight Strickland for the belt next.

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Sonnen added “He does not seem to care if what you think about him is true or not. He does not seem to care if what you say about him is true or not. So it’s very difficult to get information from Chimaev. There might be a very reasonable answer, which is this: the January date was preserved and reserved for Chimaev versus Strickland, and Chimaev got hurt. There was a rumor that he had a broken hand, but there have been pictures of Chimaev since the match, and none of those pictures contain a cast.”

What is your opinion on Chaen Sonne’s take on Khamzat Chimaev? Tell us about your opinion in the comments below.

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