It took Khamzat Chimaev a full 15 minutes of work to defeat Kamaru Usman. However, he was able to extend his streak at UFC 294. In the aftermath, the Chechen superstar did not curry the favor of the fanbase he once commanded. As such, Usman has now come out and stated he felt responsible for the fans turning on Chimaev.
Khamzat Chimaev took a pair of 29-27 scorecards for his early domination of Usman on the mat. Another judge scored a 28-28 draw, with the Nigerian surging late in the game. However, Chimaev had overexerted, even injuring his hand in the first frame. Going on short notice, Usman did what he could, but things haven’t been the same for Chimaev ever since. This made Usman address the backlash.
I felt like the kind of shift [of opinion] is because of my fight [with Khamzat]. I just think because of my fight, people are kinda downplaying his skills, whether he’s good or not… Everyone is saying ‘he’s not that good.’ But I was a champion, you know…I think he’s kind of getting the short end of the stick here, because people are saying ‘oh, he’s not that good’… I still believe that he is a problem to deal with inside that octagon, and I know from that first round I had my hands full…
Kamaru Usman via the “Pound 4 Pound with Kamaru Usman & Henry Cejudo” Podcast
Khamzat Chimaev upholds certain mettle even so. Head honcho and bossman Dana White lauds him for overcoming the best probable welterweight G.O.A.T of the era. Dricus Du Plessis holds the current guard at the 185-pound class. Despite considering him a less-than-ideal-boogey after his decision win, the champion still wants to face the Chechen “Boogeyman” after all.
Chimaev currently has a billing against middleweight Robert Whittaker for the UFC on ABC 6 headliner. UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs. Chimaev will be Saudi Arabia’s first-ever non-numbered event. Du Plessis wants him to win so he could hash with the “Boogeyman” to derail his hype. On June 22, ‘Borz’ can build on his momentum again. As such, a win over Whittaker will push him into a title shot.
Robert Whittaker vs. Khamzat Chimaev Preview: What’s at stake, odds, and more
Chimaev, undefeated at 13-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC, returns for the first time since he faded out Kamaru Usman last. He was, as usual, explosive in the opening frame; the rest of the two rounds went rather wearily. The Chechen fighter always tries to get the finish early. It did work in his favor against Usman. Nevertheless, he has entered the title eliminator picture for his bout against Robert Whittaker.
Robert Whittaker and Khamzat Chimaev (Source: IMAGO)More so, he faces tough competition from Robert Whittaker. Whittaker (25-7 MMA, 16-5 UFC) is the #3 best middleweight. ‘The Reaper’ picks up from a fiery unanimous decision victory over Paulo Costa in February. He is now 2-1 in the last three bouts after a TKO loss to Du Plessis.
Whittaker also faced a similar backlash when he lost to Du Plessis. The Kiwi-Aussie standout fashions short bursts of explosive Karate lends him an edge over the usual Muay Thai, Jiu-Jitsu & Combat Sambo users. Even industry stalwarts Georges St-Pierre, Joe Rogan, and even Michael Bisping favor his chances more.
However, according to preliminary odds on FanDuel, ‘Borz’ opens up a -186 bettor’s favorite to the listed +144 underdog Whittaker. CEO White recently alluded to the bout’s winner getting a crack at the title gold. Hence, it’s double the effort for Khamzat Chimaev.
