Luke Rockhold thinks only one middleweight contender can withstand Khamzat Chimaev’s wrestling onslaught.
Chimaev’s title-winning performance over Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 319 had many wondering if anyone has the ability to dethrone him. Chimaev landed 12 takedowns and controlled Du Plessis for over 21 minutes in a dominant unanimous decision win.
Former UFC middleweight champion Rockhold says Sean Strickland (29-7 MMA, 16-7 UFC) has the best chance against Chimaev (15-0 MMA, 9-0 UFC).
“I hate to say it: Strickland should win a fight, but he’s probably the toughest test for him,” Rockhold said on the “JAXXON PODCAST.” “He’s annoyingly hard to hold down. He’s not that good on the ground, but he can get up, and that’s the biggest thing with Khamzat: You cannot stay (on the ground). Khamzat has got to get comfortable on the feet. If he can’t keep a guy down, it could be tough.”
After training with Chimaev at Xtreme Couture, Strickland recently told MMA Junkie that he’s confident that he’s the only one who can beat him. He is targeting Anthony Hernandez first in hopes of a win setting him up against Chimaev.
“That plays a role in both their heads,” Rockhold said of Strickland and Chimaev’s training sessions. “He’s talking like he knows he can do something, so we’ll see.”
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Ex-UFC champ reveals surprising ‘toughest test’ for Khamzat Chimaev
