Chimaev wants UFC 300 title fight vs. Du Plessis: 'It should be me'

Khamzat Chimaev is ready to challenge for the UFC middleweight title this spring.

Following Dricus Du Plessis' championship win over Sean Strickland this past weekend, Chimaev told ESPN's Brett Okamoto he wants to face Du Plessis at UFC 300 on April 13 in Las Vegas.

"All these guys (have fought) each other, and only me is undefeated and undisputed - 13-0," he said. "They promised me, after the (Kamaru) Usman fight, 'You will for sure fight for the title.' I won that fight. I don't know what's going on. I heard (UFC CEO) Dana White say, 'I don't think Khamzat is next for the title.' That's bullshit, man. If you promise me something, you have to answer for it."

He added: "In my mind, it should be me (for the next title shot). ... I asked (UFC executive) Hunter (Campbell) like, 'Let me fight at UFC 300.' So we will see what they say."

After Chimaev beat former welterweight champion Usman at UFC 294 last October, White said the Russian was next in line to challenge then-middleweight champ Strickland. But Chimaev tore a ligament in his hand in that fight and said he was recently diagnosed with a lung infection.

White didn't commit to Du Plessis' next opponent after the new champ defeated Strickland by split decision at UFC 297 on Saturday in Toronto. Du Plessis called out former champion Israel Adesanya, who also expressed interest in that matchup.

Chimaev, ranked No. 9 in the 185-pound division, wasn't impressed by Du Plessis-Strickland and said the fight could have gone either way. Chimaev compared the bout to "hard sparring" and believes neither man went for a finish.

"For me, Strickland won the fight," Chimaev said. "But that was a close fight for both. Nothing special. Nothing making me like, 'Ah, this guy is somebody else.' They both have a lot of things - I can see I can finish them."