Joe Rogan challenges Khamzat Chimaev’s title worthiness ahead of UFC 328 showdown

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Joe Rogan believes the UFC middleweight champion will continue to struggle against top-level wrestlers.

Khamzat Chimaev is set to defend his 185lb title for the first time on May 9, taking on Sean Strickland in the UFC 328 main event.

The two fighters have been locked in a heated rivalry for months, leading UFC president Dana White to cancel part of their pre-fight promotional schedule.

Although Chimaev is widely expected to retain his belt in Newark, Rogan has pointed out an issue that could come up again when he faces Strickland.

Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC

Joe Rogan says Chimaev is struggling with fighters without ‘elite wrestling’

Chimaev has looked nearly untouchable during his time in the UFC, dominating just about everyone who’s stepped into the Octagon with him.

But Rogan believes he’s taking on fighters who lack “a big background in elite wrestling,” pointing to his bouts against Gilbert Burns and Kamaru Usman as two examples where he didn’t look invincible.

Because of this, Rogan thinks the UFC 328 main event might not play out how many people expect.

Speaking on a recent episode of his podcast, Rogan said: “The Strickland and Khamzat fight is going to be very interesting”.

“Strickland is not an easy guy to take down and he’s not an easy guy to hold down and he’s a very difficult guy to hit on his feet, he’s got a super awkward style. His style is very clever, it’s very different, it’s not something that’s easy to replicate as far as timing in the gym.

“His jab is so accurate… To me, it’s gonna be what can Khamzat do on the feet, can he clip him and can Strickland stop the takedowns?”

The former middleweight champion has a takedown defense percentage of 76%, while Khamzat has a takedown accuracy percentage of 55%.