Sean Strickland doesn’t think his first title challenger is deserving of the opportunity.

The UFC middleweight champion says sporting-wise, Khamzat Chimaev shouldn’t be next for the belt. Strickland thinks he hasn’t done enough to earn the opportunity.

Chimaev defeated former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman by majority decision in the co-main event of Saturday’s UFC 294 in Abu Dhabi. UFC CEO Dana White had labeled the matchup as a title eliminator in the buildup to the event – something Strickland is in disagreement with.

“The only thing I like about Chimaev is that he sells fights,” Strickland said on UFC Fight Pass. “For some reason, people f*cking like him or don’t like him. I don’t know. To me, he’s a f*cking paycheck. He sells a lot of fights. People pay to watch, but he f*cking hasn’t earned it.

“He hasn’t f*cking deserved it, but here we are. Give it to him. He sells a lot of fights. I’ll go fight the f*cking man for five rounds. But no, he’s not earned it. He doesn’t f*cking deserve it. Getting a decision with a welterweight off the couch is not f*king earning it.”

Well, it looks like @SStricklandMMA is ready for a matchup with Khamzat! #UFC294

Didn’t hold back and we wouldn’t expect him to. #ExtraRounds from the @PBR Teams Championship. pic.twitter.com/uuQPRVkOzD

— UFC FIGHT PASS (@UFCFightPass) October 22, 2023

UFC 294 was Chimaev’s return to middleweight after a stint at welterweight. It also was Usman’s debut at middleweight, which he took on less than two weeks’ notice to replace Paulo Costa.

Many think Dricus du Plessis is the most deserving of a title shot at middleweight because he’s unbeaten in the UFC, on an eight-fight winning streak and coming off a TKO victory over former champion Robert Whittaker in July. Strickland won the middleweight title with a unanimous decision over Israel Adesanya in a shocking result at UFC 293 in September. He is on a three-fight winning streak.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 294.