Chael Sonnen stated that Sean Strickland's potential defeat against Khamzat Chimaev would mark the beginning of Chimaev's era of dominance in the UFC. Sonnen recalled warning the UFC about a "Russian invasion" back in 2012, predicting that bearded fighters would come and take all the belts. As a wrestler himself, Sonnen emphasized that the culture from that region represents a different level of toughness and grit. He described Strickland as "our last line of defense" against this wave. Sonnen concluded that if Chimaev gets past Strickland, fans should prepare for a Chimaev era, as defeating him would take a very long time.
