Khamzat Chimaev shut down all his haters and doubters with his dominant performance against Robert Whittaker at UFC 308. He didn’t waste much time and was able to submit the former middleweight champion in the first round. Going forward, the ‘Borz’ looks unbeatable; however, according to Luke Rockhold, Kamaru Usman did come close to doing it.
Khamzat Chimaev and Usman fought each other last year at UFC 294, where Borz won a decision. However, it’s important to highlight that Usman came into the fight as a last-minute replacement with no training camp. Irrespective of the odds, the former welterweight champion put on a close contest for three rounds. In a recent podcast, Luke Rockhold highlighted the same for other fighters to follow.
Chimaev is very very strong, he’s got great position but if he can’t get what he’s looking for there’s gonna be a big f***** problem. You saw that with Usman, he broke…If he’s gonna fight for the title and he can’t get it done, we’re gonna see how he grows.
Luke Rockhold via The JAXXON Podcast
Rockhold and TJ Dillashaw also mentioned that with a proper training camp, Kamaru Usman might have won against the ‘Borz.’ The ‘Nigerian Nightmare’ also had a similar opinion after the fight and stated that he didn’t find anything special in Chimaev. This helped him shift the narrative around the fighter as Usman made him look normal in that fight.
However, that time has passed, and the new calm and humble Khamzat Chimaev is a different beast altogether. It was evident in his latest victory against Robert Whittaker, and fans expect him to carry the same momentum to the title shot. It would be interesting to see how well the fighter can do against someone as unorthodox as Dricus Du Plessis.
Khamzat Chimaev predicts his potential fight against Dricus Du Plessis
Like Khamzat Chimaev, Dricus Du Plessis has remained undefeated in the UFC by defeating top middleweights along the way. His latest victory was a complete performance against Israel Adesanya, one of the greatest fighters in the division. Du Plessis’ awkward striking and brawler fighting style makes him a formidable and dangerous opponent.
Before beating Adesanya, the South African defeated the likes of Robert Whittaker and Sean Strickland. However, none of them was as dominant as Chimaev’s latest performance at UFC 308. When asked about his chances against DDP, the Russian gave a befitting reply.
How I did with this guy, Rob, and how he done? Rob took him down, so if Rob took him down, there is salam alaikum
Khamzat Chimaev via UFC 308 post-fight presser
DDP has already accepted Chimaev’s challenge and has promised to take the zero from his record. With his movement and wrestling abilities, Du Plessis does have a chance to go the distance against the top middleweight. However, before that, he might have to defend his belt against Sean Strickland earlier next year.
