Last Updated on February 23, 2026 by Pragjyoti Singh
Sean Strickland shut down the critics with a statement performance against an opponent that many felt was a future contender in one of the most stacked divisions in the UFC. The American, now 30-7, beat Anthony Hernandez in Houston, Texas, and made a strong case for a title shot against Khamzat Chimaev.
Post the event, Daniel Cormier took to his podcast and gave his opinion on what could be a potential showdown between Chimaev and Strickland.
‘Borz’, who many believe to be one of the most dominant champs in the promotion, showed no hesitation in responding to Strickland’s callout earlier even accusing the former champ of ‘running’ from him when the duo spent time training together.
Daniel Cormier thinks Sean Strickland could be a problem for Khamzat Chimaev
The Middleweight champion, whose wrestling dominance was the subject of a recent breakdown by Gordon Ryan (the BJJ star claims he has found the ultimate strategy to beat Chimaev), has never shied away from making his intentions clear on moving up a weight class in search of a second title. But Strickland’s recent masterclass, paired with Dana White’s demand for a title defense, it appears that the Chechen champion’s pursuit of Alex Pereira has effectively been put on ice.
From a purely fighting perspective, Chimaev would be well-served to shift his full focus toward Strickland for the time being. Daniel Cormier also believes, especially after witnessing the American’s first finish in three years, that Strickland could prove to be a serious handful for the undefeated Chimaev.
Although the former double champ wasn’t too sure if the controversial American middleweight could hold up to the champ’s wrestling for 5 rounds, he believed Strickland would still pose a ‘difficult’ challenge for him.
“Can Sean defend Khamzat to the point that he doesn’t get ridden out and just taken down and controlled for 25 minutes? I don’t know that. I don’t know that.”, he said.
“But I’ll tell you one thing that I do know, is that if that guy that showed up tonight shows up in that fight, it will be a much more difficult fight for the great Khamzat Chimaev. Why? Because even Israel Adesanya, at the peak of his power, struggled with that version of Sean Strickland,” stated Cormier.
Given that Israel Adesanya, a definitive future Hall of Famer, was at the peak of his career when he fell to Strickland, Cormier’s analysis carries significant weight with fans and experts alike.
Cormier even went as far as to dismiss Strickland’s previous loss to former champion Dricus du Plessis, arguing that the UFC Houston winner simply didn’t look like himself during that performance.
“The Dricus du Plessis fight, it didn’t seem like Sean was locked all the way in. He seemed a little messed up, and it showed; it showed in his body language, his posture, his lack of confidence. It showed in his coach getting frustrated. There were a number of reasons why he just didn’t look the same,” explained Cormier.
Nassourdine Imavov calls out Sean Strickland after UFC Houston
Nassourdine Imavov, another star waiting in line for the middleweight strap, sent a clear message on his contender status fafter Strickland’s win.
“My dream. Bring me tha clown for the crown,” wrote Imavov, signaling he was ready to face anyone the UFC put in front of him on his way to the title.
Now ranked number 3, the French fighter believes himself to be the rightful contender for the next title shot and had called out Chimaev after his win last September.
As Dana White and Hunter Campbell finalize the historic White House card for June 2026, the question of who earns the next title shot remains. However, after UFC Houston, fans may soon see an all-American star step up to challenge Chimaev on one of the sport’s biggest stages.
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