Dan Hooker suggests Khamzat Chimaev’s rumored travel issues to the U.S. could jeopardize his fight with Dricus du Plessis
Khamzat Chimaev's first-round submission win over Robert Whittaker at UFC 308 stunned much of the MMA fanbase. Whittaker was handed the first submission loss of his UFC career, with 'Borz' employing his relentless wrestling skillset to dominate 'The Reaper'.
Given the nature of Chimaev's victory over the former champion, fans and fighters alike have called for the 30-year old to leapfrog Sean Strickland as the number one contender at 185 pounds.
Strickland is expected to be facing Dricus du Plessis for the title next, but the pair have already fought. With Du Plessis getting the better of the American this past January, many are eager for a fresh challenger.
Interestingly, Dan Hooker recently highlighted Chimaev's alleged visa issues with traveling to the United States as a reason why he may miss out on being the man to fight 'Stillknocks' next.
During a recent appearance on Sky Sports NZ, the lightweight contender discussed Du Plessis' next opponent, saying:
"[Chimaev] looks to me like he's jumped the line. With a performance like that, such an impressive performance like that, it looks to me like he's jumped the queue. I have a feeling they might still do the Dricus and Strickland [fight] because we're not so sure Khamzat can travel to the U.S. at the moment. He says he can, but the proof's in the pudding, mate. We haven't seen your feet on American soil in a while. They'll probably do Strickland-Dricus...and Khamzat will fight the winner of that."
Catch Hooker's comments on Khamzat Chimaev below (4:12):
Dricus du Plessis wants Khamzat Chimaev instead of Sean Strickland following UFC 308
Khamzat Chimaev's win over Robert Whittaker at UFC 308 turned the heads of plenty in the MMA fanbase, as well as middleweight king Dricus du Plessis. So much so that the South African has shared his interest in fighting 'Borz' next instead of his expected rematch with Sean Strickland.
'Stillknocks' discussed the middleweight title picture in the aftermath of UFC 308 during a recent episode of Fight Chats, hosted by South African actor and comedian Rikus de Beer.
The 185-pound champion said:
"As a fan of the sport, and as the middleweight champion, [Chimaev] is a fight that gets me more excited. Taking somebody's [undefeated record]. I've beaten Strickland before and I know I'll beat him again. Getting that Khamzat fight, that gets me excited. I think the whole world, the fans want to see it... The Khamzat fight is 100 percent what I want."
Check Du Plessis' comments on Khamzat Chimaev below (2:25):