As we head into a stacked UFC 294 card in Abu Dhabi this weekend, we review whether Khamzat Chimaev really has what it takes to be king.
Khamzat Chimaev and Islam Mhakachev Vs the Late Replacements
The main event had already suffered a huge blow, as Charles Oliveira was forced to withdraw from his rematch with Islam Makhachev for the lightweight crown. The former champ suffered a deep cut above his eye in what would likely have been one of his last sparring sessions of camp.
Yet, in true UFC fashion, a last-minute replacement was called in. Alexander ‘The Great’ Volkanovski will step in on 11 days’ notice and run it back with Islam for the lightweight crown. After a previous failed attempt at champ-champ status in a fight of the year contender and one which many argued ‘Volk’ deserved to win, the featherweight king will look to dethrone Islam Makhachev and become the number one pound-for-pound fighter in the world.
A crazy turn of events, and we weren’t finished there. Khamzat Chimaev was scheduled to face Paolo Costa, in a mouthwatering encounter that fans around the world were truly invested in. Unfortunately, an infection in Costa’s elbow left the UFC no choice but to pull the fight from the already altered card.
In another dramatic turn of events, former dominant welterweight champion Kamaru Usman was announced as the later replacement to face Chimaev. This fight had been rumoured for some time but the concept of the bout taking place at a catchweight seemed to be the sticking point. The fight will see the ‘Nigerian Nightmare’ step up a weight class following back-to-back defeats at the hands of welterweight champion Leon Edwards.
The History of Khamzat
Many have now claimed that the card is actually better now with the replacement fights than it originally was. Something which we will only be able to confirm once the proceedings come to a close.
So let us now dive in to the enigma that is Khamzat Chimaev. ‘Borz’ has had quite the topsy-turvy run in the UFC. Not when it comes to results, which have been flawless, but there have been moments of concern.
Prior to joining the UFC, Chimaev picked up a 24-0 record in freestyle wrestling, the last of which, was a victory over fellow UFC star Jack Hermansson. As an amateur mixed martial artist, Khamzat was 3-0, all of which finished inside the distance. Chimaev turned pro in May of 2018. Within 17 months, Khamzat was 6-0, all finishes.
This was enough to capture the interest of the UFC. On July 16th 2020, Chimaev made his UFC debut against John Phillips at middleweight. Khamzat dominated from the opening bell and finished the fight in the second round. A mere ten days later, Chimaev broke the record for the quickest turnaround between wins in UFC history with a first round demolition of Rhys McKee. In September, Chimaev ran through Gerald Meerschaert. Then, COVID-19 hit the global scale.
COVID-19 & Retirement Talk
Next up for Chimaev was Gilbert Burns. Burns, who is an established top contender in the welterweight division took a fight which many had turned down as Khamzat quickly became one of the most avoided fighters on the roster.
Burns though, felt he was a level above Chimaev and was willing to fight down in the rankings in order to prove his legitimacy. The pair put on a fight of the ages which saw both men badly hurt and dropped. Burns became the first man to show Chimaev to be ‘human’ in a back-and-forth war which could have gone either way. It was Khamzat who had his hand raised as he continued his rise.
The Monopoly Card UFC 279
Next up was UFC 279 or as I like to call it, the monopoly card. This card swung here, there and everywhere and saw the original bouts switched, swapped and changed in a way that we had never seen before. The card had originally been targeted for Aljamain Sterling and TJ Dillashaw but that fight was pushed back and Khamzat Chimaev was scheduled to face Nate Diaz in the main event. On the same card, Tony Ferguson was set to face off with Li Jingliang, whilst Kevin Holland was set to face off against Daniel Rodriguez.
Fight week was chaotic, with Khamzat, Holland and Diaz getting into altercations backstage, it was all beginning to boil over. Then came the weigh-ins. Chimaev missed the welterweight non-title limit of 171lb’s by a massive 7.5lb’s as he came in at 178.5. This forced the UFC into a reshuffling of the pack. The main event turned into Diaz Vs Ferguson. Chimaev and Holland would face off in the co-main and Li Jingliang and Daniel Rodriguez would now come face-to-face further down the card.
Khamzat ran through Kevin Holland in spectacular fashion with a first round submission. The drastic weight miss though, signalled the end of Chimaev’s run at welterweight and he was forced to move up to middleweight.
Uninterested or Inactive?
It has once more, been over a year. Which isn’t that long, I know. But when we consider the fact that Khamzat’s first three fights in the organisation happened in the first two months, it’s a fair assessment to state that the momentum of Khamzat Chimaev’s career has somewhat slipped.
So my real question here is this… Is Khamzat ‘The Guy’? Is he the future of this division? Will he be the next king and major star of the UFC? Lets focus now on the task at hand. Kamaru Usman.
MMA Maths
Now, we’re so far into this story and I’ve talked about Khamzat’s past fights, past issues and Kamaru Usman. Not bad, considering this is meant to be an article about how Khamzat can win this fight. But don’t worry. I’m getting there.
From Khamzat’s side, this intrigues me. I remember the Gilbert Burns fight well. He struggled, but he showed heart. In my opinion, he won that fight. However, I also strongly believe that had that been a five-round fight, Gilbert Burns stops Khamzat. Chimaev was gassing, badly. Was that due to his previous COVID-19 woes? Who knows, possibly. Then the severe weight miss. Not very professional. Were there circumstances we weren’t aware of? Or had Khamzat just outgrown the welterweight limit?
Khamzat will have been preparing for a striker in Paolo Costa, his route to victory would have been pretty clear for the fight. Wrestle. Yet, here he faces a completely new challenge, a smaller guy, sure, but a former champion and a more well-rounded fighter too. A fighter who carries power in his hands with an incredible gas tank and a great chin. You could say, this is almost Khamzat versus Khamzat.
I know MMA math does not work like this, but lets remember what Kamaru Usman did to Gilbert Burns. He was much more clinical than Khamzat was. For me, this fight will determine to us whether Khamzat Chimaev really is everything that we are led to believe he is. Yes he has looked impressive, but against who? By that, I mean no disrespect to any of his former foes but there is a big difference between the Gerald Meerschaert’s and the Kamaru Usman’s of this world.
The Toughest Test To-Date
This is without question, Khamzat Chimaev’s biggest test to-date. If he beats Kamaru Usman, even if he only scrapes through by the skin of his teeth, it will prove to me that this is ‘The Guy’. It’s important that we don’t dismiss who Kamaru Usman is. This is a man that many were debating his position as one of the greatest welterweights of all time. If Khamzat beats Usman in Abu Dhabi, I’m all in. I don’t want to hear anything about Kamaru Usman being passed his best or undersized. This is a legitimate opponent and Chimaev will need to be at his very best to get his hand raised.
I am absolutely fascinated by this fight. It really could go either way and with all the respect in the world to the current middleweight champion Sean Strickland, whoever wins this fight, for me, will be the next middleweight king.
Throughout this article, I’ve asked an awful lot of questions. This Saturday night, we get all the answers, as Khamzat Chimaev faces Kamaru Usman at UFC 294.
Featured image credits to Embed from Getty Images
