Kamaru Usman vs. Khamzat Chimaev a ‘bullsh*t fight,’ UFC needs to cut Paulo Costa

UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland is displeased with the situation surrounding his next challenger.

Strickland, who recently became champion by defeating Israel Adesanya last month, is not a fan of the upcoming co-main event between Kamaru Usman and Khamzat Chimaev set to take place at UFC 294 in Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Arena.

“Here’s the thing: Usman isn’t in a camp, Chimaev has been bulking up for middleweight, and Usman took this fight for the money,” expressed Strickland on his enlightening YouTube channel. “The UFC said, ‘Hey, Usman. We’ll give you a couple of million to take this fight. Do you want it?’ Usman said, ‘I can’t say no. I’m going to do it.’

“To me, this is kind of a meaningless fight. Chimaev has been training hard, bulking up for middleweight, and then you have Usman who’s like, ‘I’m going to take this and get a paycheck.’ It seems like they just needed to fill a seat, and I got Chimaev.”

Usman stepped in to face Chimaev on short notice after Paulo Costa got injured. Moving up a weight class, the former welterweight champion accepted the challenge.

While Strickland predicts a victory for Chimaev, he would have favored Usman if the circumstances were different.

“Usman’s experience and skill would have given him the advantage at welterweight, but in this three-round fight on short notice, I’m going with Chimaev,” Strickland asserted.

Regarding Costa, Strickland hopes the UFC cuts him from the roster, as Costa has withdrawn from several bouts in the past.

“This is more of the UFC playing games. This is unacceptable,” Strickland exclaimed. “Bro, they just need to cut Costa. Costa, dude, you’re such a disappointment. At this point, f*ck Costa.”

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

Story originally appeared on MMA Junkie