Dricus Du Plessis Says Khamzat Chimaev Deserves Title Shot Over Sean Strickland

Who should be next up to challenge for the UFC's Middleweight title?? The champion, Dricus Du Plessis, has now weighed in ... telling us the answer is Khamzat Chimaev!

DDP joined Babcock on the TMZ Sports TV show (airs weekdays on FS1) ... where he was asked whether Chimaev vs. Robert Whittaker at UFC 308 to jump Sean Strickland, who many assumed would fight Du Plessis next.

"[Khamzat] went in there and was the first guy to ever submit Rob, and he did in the first round. That warrants a jump-the-gun on Sean Strickland for me. And if you ask me personally, that's a fight I would rather want, because it's a fight that the people want. It's a fight that more fans want, and I believe that Khamzat's the next best guy," Dricus said.

Of course, Strickland and Du Plessis previously fought at UFC 297 ... a fight DDP won by decision, leaving Scotiabank Arena in Toronto with the MW strap.

As for how a fight between Khamzat and other champ would look, we asked Dricus.

"You see Khamzat, he backs people up. I don't back up," DDP said ... noting Chimaev has faced the most difficulty against guys like Gilbert Burns and Kamaru Usman, who Du Plessis says "went out there and they fought him," adding, "They didn't defend his wrestling. They wrestled him back. They fought him."

Dricus continued ... "I don't know how to back up. I'm going to go out there and fight you. We've seen this with Khamzat, slowing down after the first round, round and a half. And I think that is because he uses so much power. He has the wrestling technique, of course, but he uses his strength as a weapon. In this case, he has a gun and I have a tank when it comes to the strength. There's not a middleweight that's going to overpower me. It's not going to happen."

As for what Dricus would say to Strickland -- who will surely be pissed at the latest turn of events -- the champ has a message for the challenger.

"Finish your fights."

And, for Chimaev ... "If it's Khamzat, you think you're strong, you think you're powerful, you have not felt anything. And I can't wait until I see it on his face because I see it on every single person I fight's face."