Chael Sonnen believes Khamzat Chimaev will serve as the backup fighter for UFC 312. Dricus Du Plessis (22-2 MMA, 8-0 UFC) defends his middleweight title against Sean Strickland (29-6 MMA, 16-6 UFC) in a rematch, which headlines Saturday’s event at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney. The main card streams on ESPN+ pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN2 and ESPN+. With UFC 311 losing its main event just one day prior, Sonnen doubts the promotion would risk another title-fight headliner being jeopardized. Islam Makhachev was scheduled to defend his lightweight title against Arman Tsarukyan last month, but Tsarukyan pulled out after weigh-ins, leaving Makhachev to face Renato Moicano instead. UFC 312 does not feature any middleweight matchups outside of the main event.
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Chael Sonnen confident Khamzat Chimaev is UFC 312 title-fight backup – MMA Junkie