Yes and no.
Is he deserving? Of course. A lot of people thought he beat DDP the first time around.. And with Pereira out of the division (the last guy to really BEAT him), he's essentially unbeaten since 2018...No one counts that Cannonier shit show.
The question is, is he the MOST deserving?
I'd argue no. Khamzat has only really beaten one ranked MW, but it was former champ Whitaker and he MAULED him.
Khamzat is unbeaten, and way more marketable than Strickland. He's a star in the making, if he can get his shit together...which is a big if.
So is Strickland the most deserving at the moment? No.
But I think it's a smart move by the UFC. The winner of DDP/Strickland gets an extra push and maybe more star power, which will carry into the Khamzat fight. Then Khamzat vs. the winner will feel like a BIG fight.