Chael Sonnen sees Sean Strickland as the only man who has a chance to dethrone Khamzat Chimaev.
Russian dominance has been present in MMA with the likes of ex-UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, UFC welterweight champion Islam Makhachev, and now UFC middleweight champion Chimaev.
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Strickland (30-7 MMA, 17-7 UFC) is a big underdog against Chimaev (15-0 MMA, 9-0 UFC) in Saturday’s UFC 328 (Paramount+) main event at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., but Sonnen gives him the best chance of handing Chimaev his first-career loss.
“Strickland is the last hope,” Sonnen said on “The Ariel Helwani Show.” “He is the last line of defense between the martial arts community and having to watch Chimaev for the next period of time. I remember warning the UFC, warning the UFC of the Russian invasion. I was warning them it’s coming. The Russians are coming, and you are our only line of defense. Quit signing these guys.
“Unless you want a whole bunch of guys coming in with beards and no mustaches, taking all your belts away, the only way to stop them is don’t give them the opportunity. As a wrestler, I can tell you, this culture is a different level of toughness, and Strickland really is our last line of defense. If Chimaev penetrates Sean Strickland, you better get used to the Chimaev era, because it’s not going anywhere anytime soon.”
Chimaev, who started out his UFC career as a welterweight, has teased a potential move to light heavyweight on numerous occasions.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC analyst: Sean Strickland ‘last hope’ to stop ‘Russian invasion’
