Undefeated dark horse of the UFC Khamzat Chimaev has ranked his fellow UFC roster ahead of his UFC 308 return
Chechnya-born Khamzat “Borz” Chimaev has amassed a lot of hype in his UFC tenure. He has breezed through nearly all the opponents he has faced in the Welterweight and Middleweight division.
The 170lb and 185lb divisions have anticipated his seemingly inevitable rise. Defeating stars such as Kevin Holland, Gilbert Burns, and Kamaru Usman, relentless wrestler Chimaev, has yet to break into the top of either division due to inactivity.
Now one month out from his return against former Middleweight champion Robert “The Reaper” Whittaker at UFC 308, Khamzat has been ranking various UFC fighters from 1-10.
A Fight Long in the Making
Robert Whittaker and Khamzat Chimaev were initially booked to fight at UFC Saudi Arabia back in June. Chimaev however, withdrew from the fight due to illness.
In his absence stepped Ikram Aliskerov to face Whittaker on short notice. Short-notice opponents are a high-risk task, but “The Reaper” was willing to roll the dice.
Whittaker passed the test with flying colours finishing Aliskerov by knockout in the first round. 3 months later, the original fight between Whittaker and Chimaev is on the horizon.
Assuming Chimaev makes it to the fight in good health, the Chechen does not rank Whittaker as a tough opponent.
Khamzat Chimaev Rates Robert Whittaker as an Easy Fight
In a recent interview by Riadhlevrai shared by Championship Rounds on X, Khamzat Chimaev has been rating a variety of UFC opponents that he could face in the future. From the ratings, he rates himself very highly in comparison to the 170 and 185lb division’s talent pool.
When asked to rate fighters from 1-10, with 1 being easy and 10 being difficult, it is safe to say, that Khamzat Chimaev does not see much danger on the horizon. Particularly in his UFC 308 fight against Whittaker, rating him as 3-4 out of 10.
It was not just Chimaev baring the harsh rankings:
Leon Edwards: 2-3
Robert Whittaker: 3-4
Sean Strickland: 5
Shavkat Rakhmonov: 5
Israel Adesanya: 5-6
Jon Jones: 9
With not one fighter being ranked as a 10, “Borz” does not see anybody as unbeatable. Even Heavyweight champion Jon “Bones” Jones. Khamzat Chimaev has confidence in abundance, and with his resume, it is understandable why.
Robert Whittaker however is tried and tested, having only lost to former champion Israel Adesanya and current Middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis at 185lbs. If Chimaev is to defeat Whittaker he will certainly be next in line for a title fight with Du Plessis.
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