“I think they can (strip Strickland) any time,” No. 6-ranked middleweight contender, Caio Borralho, told MMA Junkie (via Stake). “They didn’t strip (Islam) Mackachev, but he was supposed to fight in January, but then refused. So they said, ‘F*ck it. We’re doing the interim belt.’ I think they can do [Nassourdine] Imamov versus another big name for the interim, and if Strickland stays with this narrative for too long, they’ll strip him. They won’t let him hold the division. In a great way, everyone wants to see me versus Imamov again. Last time, I had to cut weight twice in three weeks as I was the backup for the title.”
Chimaev (No. 1), along with fellow ex-champion Dricus Du Plessis (No. 2), are also in the mix.
