Henry Cejudo, Kamaru Usman forecast a bombshell outcome at UFC 328

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Sean Strickland has gotten a nod of approval from two big names in MMA ahead of UFC 328.

The former middleweight champion is up against Khamzat Chimaev, who remains undefeated and will be the main event at Riyadh Season in Saudi Arabia.

It’s a tall order for Strickland, but he has already picked up support from several corners of the sport.

Strickland is +425 to become the first man to beat the 15-0 Russian phenom at UFC 328.

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Cejudo and Usman back Strickland with bets ahead of UFC 328

Henry Cejudo is backing Sean Strickland to pull off the upset and reclaim the middleweight title this weekend.

The former two-division champion has put $1,000 on Strickland to hand Khamzat Chimaev his first professional loss.

Speaking on the Pound4Pound podcast with Kamaru Usman, Cejudo explained why he believes Strickland’s unique approach could cause problems for Chimaev.

“I personally feel like the jab, the teep kick, and the fact that his style is just a little bit different could be problematic for a guy like Khamzat Chimaev,”

“Styles make fights. Yes, Sean Strickland did lose to Dricus du Plessis, but this is different. Sean Strickland has shown that if you do take him down, he gets back up to his feet.

“I feel like we are gonna hear ‘And new!’ I like those f—ing odds. You know, I can bet now. I am retired. I’m gonna put $1000 on that. I’m gonna go big, dude.”

Kamaru Usman isn’t allowed to place bets as an active UFC fighter, but he said he’d be tempted by the same wager if he could.

The former welterweight champion favours Chimaev overall but likes the value in backing Strickland, given how wide the odds are between the two men he’s faced before.