MMA News

Tag: Khamzat Chimaev

  • Chimaev Drops Rountree in Sparring Footage Ahead of UFC 328

    Chimaev Drops Rountree in Sparring Footage Ahead of UFC 328

    New sparring footage of Khamzat Chimaev dropping light heavyweight Khalil Rountree Jr. has circulated ahead of the UFC middleweight champion’s title defense at UFC 328 on May 9 against Sean Strickland, sending MMA social media into a frenzy.

    Chimaev hasn’t competed since claiming the middleweight title with a dominant performance over Dricus du Plessis at UFC 319 last August. His impressive striking on a fighter who competes at 205 pounds reinforces the picture of a champion operating at a dangerous level heading into the grudge match with Strickland.

    Du Plessis Gives Strickland a Real Shot

    Former middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis, who lost the title to Chimaev and previously defeated Strickland, offered a notable assessment of the May 9 matchup. “Sean Strickland has a very good chance against Khamzat Chimaev,” du Plessis said, one of the most credible Strickland endorsements heading into fight night.

    UFC 328 is shaping up as one of the most anticipated events of the year. Strickland’s ability to apply pressure and absorb punishment makes him a legitimate threat, and with DDP sounding the alarm, the champion will have little room for complacency.

  • Khamzat Chimaev vs. Sean Strickland Headlines UFC 328

    Khamzat Chimaev vs. Sean Strickland Headlines UFC 328

    The UFC released a trailer to promote events that it will be holding throughout the second quarter of 2026 — and that includes the revealing of the main card for UFC 328 on May 9 in Newark, New Jersey.

    The main event of UFC 328 will see Khamzat Chimaev defend the UFC middleweight championship against Sean Strickland.

    This will be Chimaev’s first title defense since defeating Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 319 this past August to claim the championship.

    Strickland finished Anthony Hernandez in the main event of UFC Houston last month to earn this title shot. Strickland is a former champion; he won the title by upsetting Israel Adesanya at UFC 293 but quickly lost it to DDP at UFC 297.

    UFC 328’s co-main event will be a heavyweight title eliminator, as Alexander Volkov takes on Waldo Cortes-Acosta. Volkov has won six of his last eight, including a split decision over Jailton Almeida at UFC 321. Cortes-Acosta has won three straight and eight of his last nine, including back-to-back first-round knockouts of Ante Delija and Shamil Gaziev, as well as his finish of Derrick Lewis at UFC 324.

    Also featured at UFC 328 will be a welterweight contenders bout between Sean Brady and Joaquin Buckley. Both men will be looking to rebound from losses, respectively, against Michael Morales and Kamaru Usman.

    Jan Blachowicz and Bogdan Guskov will do battle once again after their UFC 323 encounter ended in a majority draw.

    One year after returning in a hearty loss against Mason Jones, UFC veteran and BKFC star Jeremy Stephens will make another Octagon appearance, taking on fellow Octagon veteran King Green.

    A middleweight contest featuring Ateba Gautier and Ozzy Diaz is scheduled to be the featured prelim bout.

    UFC 328 takes place at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, on Saturday, May 9.

  • Bo Nickal, Khamzat Chimaev Respond To Colby Covington’s RAF Promo

    Bo Nickal, Khamzat Chimaev Respond To Colby Covington’s RAF Promo

    Colby Covington has always been one to ruffle feathers and stir up drama, but his mic time at RAF 6 has left some of his fellow competitors unimpressed.

    Covington was at Mullett Arena in Tempe, Arizona, for the RAF 6 event and took to the mic to ask the crowd who they’d like to see him face off with next.

    Covington polled the crowd on three potential names — Arman Tsarukyan, Kamaru Usman, and Georges St Pierre.

    “I’ve got a couple of names in mind,” Covington said. “How about that little spoiled brat from Armenia, Arman Tsarukyan? What about the trilogy with Marty FakeNewsman? I beat him last time we were in Madison Square Garden. Come to the Real American Freestyle mat, I’m going to beat you here, Marty.

    “And then I got one more name, because there’s nothing more like as an American than beating those Canadians’ a**. Georges St Pierre, where you at?”

    Colby Covington Makes RAF Callouts, Bo Nickal and Khamzat Chimaev Call Him Out

    Even though Covington did not refer to competing next in the Octagon, his comments at the RAF event sparked responses from some of his fellow UFC stars.

    One of those names is Bo Nickal, who has expressed a desire to compete against Covington on the UFC White House card in June.

    Nickal claims the former interim welterweight champion is using RAF to avoid facing off with him in a battle of former NCAA Division-I All-Americans in the Octagon.

    “Colby the clown running scared,” Nickal posted on social media. “He doesn’t want me to embarrass him at the White House. Man up, brother, let’s do it.”

    The promo from Covington also brought out a response from UFC middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev, who expressed openness in having a showdown with Covington on the wrestling mats.

    “Next RAF, I will make American boy humble again,” Chimaev posted. “Colbiclown let’s go.”

    When asked if he is injured, Chimaev clarified that he is just waiting to figure out a date for a UFC middleweight title defense against Sean Strickland.

    Covington made his RAF debut at RAF 5 in January, defeating Luke Rockhold.

  • Du Plessis Blames Chimaev for ‘Terrible Fight,’ Wants Rematch

    Du Plessis Blames Chimaev for ‘Terrible Fight,’ Wants Rematch

    Former UFC middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis is blaming Khamzat Chimaev for what he calls a “terrible fight” when they met at UFC 319 in August 2025. Du Plessis (record not provided) lost the title to Chimaev (record not provided) by unanimous decision. Now, he’s calling for a rematch.

    Du Plessis is targeting a return to the Octagon at UFC 327 in Miami on April 11, 2026. Speaking with Fight Forecast, Du Plessis stated he would “love to be on that April card.” He added that there is “no opponent yet, there’s no contract yet.” Chimaev has also been considering a move to light heavyweight.

    Du Plessis Aims to Counter Chimaev’s Wrestling

    Du Plessis anticipates Chimaev will rely on his wrestling in a potential rematch. He plans to counter it to force his own fighting style. In an interview with Fight Forecast, Du Plessis explained why he felt the fight with Chimaev was terrible and what he needs to do to win in a rematch:

    “It’s always great if you have a guy that comes and fights because it’s my style and it’s what I love to do entertain, to hear the crowd go crazy. But he knows that and that’s why he went for that style. Once again, I understand that it wasn’t the best fight to watch. In fact, it was a terrible fight to watch, but he did what he had to do to win that title and good for him. My responsibility is to stop him from doing that and that’s what I will do.”

    Du Plessis aims to regain the title before the end of 2026.

  • Sean Strickland Blasts Khamzat Chimaev for Stalling UFC’s Middleweight Division

    Sean Strickland Blasts Khamzat Chimaev for Stalling UFC’s Middleweight Division

    Sean Strickland is criticizing Khamzat Chimaev for not defending his Middleweight title, accusing him of stalling the division due to injury. Strickland claims Chimaev fights infrequently and has mysterious injuries after every fight. Chimaev won the title by defeating Dricus du Plessis at UFC 319.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/DR8pd6mlMu1

    Strickland, preparing to face Anthony Hernandez at UFC Houston next weekend, believes he is the only middleweight who could beat Khamzat Chimaev. Strickland lost to Dricus du Plessis at the start of 2024 and again at UFC 312. Khamzat Chimaev is the reigning undefeated Middleweight champion.

    Strickland’s Criticism of Chimaev

    Strickland posted on Instagram, stating Khamzat Chimaev “is just going to sit on that f****ng belt” and wait until he is forced to fight. Strickland believes Chimaev makes more money not fighting for the belt. Strickland has not fought since losing to Dricus du Plessis in the UFC 312 rematch 12 months ago.

    Strickland also claimed that Anthony ‘Fluffy’ Hernandez is a better wrestler than Chimaev over five rounds.

    Khamzat Chimaev is undefeated and dominated Dricus du Plessis at UFC 319 to become champion.

  • Khamzat Chimaev Calls Out ‘Scared’ Alex Pereira for UFC White House Superfight

    Khamzat Chimaev Calls Out ‘Scared’ Alex Pereira for UFC White House Superfight

    UFC middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev has issued another challenge to light heavyweight king Alex Pereira, targeting a champion vs. champion showdown at the historic UFC White House event on June 14.

    The undefeated Chimaev took to social media on Sunday to call out Pereira, promising a quick finish and taunting the Brazilian’s fanbase in the process.

    Chimaev followed up with a second post directed at Pereira’s supporters, writing, “All Brazilian fans tell this boy if you’re not scared tell him to fight.”

    The 31-year-old Chechen-born fighter has been pursuing Pereira for months, previously accusing the light heavyweight champion of “running away” from the matchup. In December, Chimaev stated he doesn’t believe Pereira wants the fight, claiming “everyone knows this guy is not on my level.”

    Both Champions Coming Off Dominant Title Wins

    Chimaev captured the middleweight title at UFC 319 in August with a dominant unanimous decision over Dricus du Plessis, landing a UFC-record 529 strikes en route to three 50-44 scorecards. He has yet to defend the belt and has fought just once per year since 2022.

    Meanwhile, Pereira reclaimed the light heavyweight championship at UFC 320 in October, stopping Magomed Ankalaev in just 80 seconds to become a two-time 205-pound champion. The Brazilian has since set his sights on a move to heavyweight, with rumors swirling about a potential interim title fight against Ciryl Gane while Tom Aspinall recovers from eye surgery.

    White House Card Taking Shape

    The UFC White House event is scheduled for June 14, 2026, on the South Lawn, with weigh-ins expected at the Lincoln Memorial. Dana White has described it as potentially “the greatest fight card ever assembled” and confirmed approximately 5,000 fans will attend the White House grounds, with another 85,000 at the nearby Ellipse park.

    However, White has stated the promotion won’t begin booking fights until February, leaving Chimaev’s challenge in limbo for now.

    Pereira has not responded to Chimaev’s latest callout. The light heavyweight champion has been focused on securing a superfight against Jon Jones, though Jones recently stated that Dana White “isn’t interested” in making that fight happen.

  • Bo Nickal Backtracks on Khamzat Chimaev Comments: “Was about Wrestling, not MMA”

    UFC star Bo Nickal has explained his previous comments regarding his ability to “ragdoll” Khamzat Chimaev if they ever fought.

    While Bo Nickal had an incredibly bright start to his mixed martial arts career in the wake of his sensational run in amateur wrestling, many weren’t big fans of how confident or ‘cocky’ he was being in the media. Then, when he was beaten decisively by Reinier de Ridder, there were even more questions regarding his long term future in the sport.

    Of course, Bo Nickal is a champion at heart and he wants to go out there and prove he can hang with the very best. Bo has plenty of experience when it comes to dealing with adversity and when he battles Rodolfo Vieira at UFC 322, he’ll be hoping that he can showcase what he’s been able to learn ever since his loss to RDR earlier this year.

    Once upon a time, Bo Nickal suggested that he would ragdoll Khamzat Chimaev if they ever met in a competitive environment, which certainly raised a few eyebrows. In a recent interview, he decided to clarify exactly what he meant by that.

    Bo Nickal backtracks on Khamzat Chimaev comments

    “All the stuff I said about ragdolling him — that was about wrestling, not an MMA fight. In a straight-up freestyle or collegiate match, it’s not competitive. I’m a three-time national champ, a world champion — I’ve beaten the best in the world. But in MMA, that’s a war. That’s a scrap. I’ve got to win fights first, but one day that matchup would be incredible.”

  • Khamzat Chimaev Wants Alex Pereira for Two Division Gold

    Khamzat Chimaev Wants Alex Pereira for Two Division Gold

    UFC middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev has once again made it clear that he is interested in heading up to light heavyweight to battle Alex Pereira for a second world title.

    Following his dominant win over Dricus du Plessis, Khamzat Chimaev has made it clear that he wants to stay fairly active. There are a handful of potential challengers for him in the middleweight division, but given what we all know about ‘Borz’, it certainly feels like his preference is to venture up to 205 pounds in order to try and win a second belt.

    While that may be an interesting idea, the current champ Alex Pereira doesn’t seem overly interested in this. Instead, he wants to battle it out with Jon Jones in the heavyweight division, and he wants to do it at next summer’s history UFC White House event.

    In a recent podcast appearance, Khamzat Chimaev had the following to say about a potential collision with Pereira.

    Khamzat Chimaev wants Alex Pereira fight

    “I would love to fight for the second belt,” Chimaev said on the Badaev Podcast. “It’s no secret, the guy who’s got the belt at 205 pounds [Pereira] now is a very good matchup for me.”

    “They say he has a lot of power, but I’ve never been edged out in that area. He used to fight at 185, too, and then moved up to 205. So I would like to fight at light heavyweight.”

    Quotes via GiveMeSport

    Could it happen? We’ll have to wait and see.

  • Marvin Vettori Saddened To Get Kicked Out of Group Chat with Khamzat Chimaev, Darren Till, and Sean Strickland

    Marvin Vettori Saddened To Get Kicked Out of Group Chat with Khamzat Chimaev, Darren Till, and Sean Strickland

    Marvin Vettori was once in a middleweight super group online with the likes Khamzat Chimaev, Darren Till, and Sean Strickland until ‘The Italian Dream’ got the boot from it. This was situation was touched on by the former UFC middleweight title challenger during an interview with Helen Yee Sports. Vettori was covering several subjects ahead of his looming clash with Brunno Ferreira which is set for UFC 323 on December 6th.

    Part of the reason for his group chat removal seems to be tied somewhat to his recent work at Beneil Dariush‘s Kings MMA Anaheim and prioritizing being in California more than Nevada, as of late, as Vettori said,

    “We even have a group that Sean Strickland did on Instagram, and we were talking all kinds of stuff in that group—Darren Till and Khamzat were in it too. And even right after the fight, I said, ‘Listen, Darren, just stop it. You look horrible holding those pads.’ But he never answered. We used to bully Darren a little bit in that group. Sean kicked me out. It’s so funny. Like, people just sending videos… Sean never told you about it?”

    “It was supposed to be a sparring group, and then they kicked me out since I’m not in Vegas all the time, and I didn’t show up. Khamzat even said it: ‘Oh, I didn’t show up for the sparring that time.’ But I was like, bro, am I going to drive five hours just to spar and then come back… I didn’t plan it. Plus, I got my own stuff going on, and I want to fight this guy, so I’m not going to spar him.”​

    Marvin Vettori receives flak for controversial online remarks

    Marvin Vettori is someone who clearly does not mince words, and this was reflected in relatively recent online comments he made that many saw as antisemitic. In an aggressive retweet that took place on his personal X account, Vettori stated,

    “F* all these people, this s* is getting out of hand, they control everything, f*** these ashkenazi Jews that wants control over the world. Here I said it.”

    Vettori demonstrably does not care who his comments rub the wrong way, and it seems like all kinds of speech is on the table in this Dana White “free speech” era of the UFC.

    Sean Strickland, Khamzat Chimaev & Darren Till, Marvin Vettori

  • Sean Strickland: Khamzat Chimaev is a “little f***ing p*ssy”

    UFC star Sean Strickland has gone after UFC middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev in his most recent rant.

    We all know that Sean Strickland is a pretty controversial character. He says and does things that rub people the wrong way more often than not, but given that he’s a former world champion himself, it’s hard to discredit him too much. Right now, it’s Khamzat Chimaev that’s at the top of the middleweight division, and it certainly seems as if that bothers Sean just a little bit.

    A fight between these two would be interesting, and that goes without saying. Sean Strickland has trained with Khamzat in the past, and given where they’re both at in their respective careers, it’s not that hard to imagine it happening at some point in the future.

    If it does, we imagine Sean Strickland will have more than a few things to say, especially given the contents of this interview.

    Sean Strickland goes after Khamzat Chimaev

    “Yeah, dude. F*** Chimaev, dude. Made me realize I should wrestle, dude. You know, dude, that little f***ing pussy, dude. I can’t stand f***ing Chimaev. You son of a bitch. You know, I think what annoys me about Chimaev, there’s nobody that could beat him. 

    “You know, like I’ve trained with all the guys he’s going to fight, like I’ve trained with Chimaev, dude, for one round, the guy could grapple for one round, dude. Once you—once you get over that one round of scramble, he just quits. It just turns into a kickboxing match like what he did with the 155er or the 170er or what’s his name? Gilbert.”

  • Alex Pereira vs. Khamzat Chimaev Next? ‘Poatan’ Offers an Answer on His Future

    Alex Pereira has responded to Khamzat Chimaev’s challenge in the wake of his victory at UFC 320.

    Last Saturday night, Alex Pereira defeated Magomed Ankalaev via first round TKO to win back the UFC light heavyweight championship. It was one of the most sensational performances in UFC title fight history, and while that may sound like an overstatement, it certainly isn’t when you consider how the first fight between the two men played out earlier this year. Now, as we look ahead to the future, there are plenty of questions regarding what exactly is going to be next for ‘Poatan’.

    Alex Pereira is one of the scariest fighters in mixed martial arts and while there are plenty of potential contenders at light heavyweight, including Carlos Ulberg and Jiri Prochazka, he has his eyes set on history. The Brazilian sensation has made it known that he wants to venture up to the heavyweight division in pursuit of a third world title in a third weight class, something that has never been accomplished in the history of the UFC.

    However, in the aftermath of UFC 320, Khamzat Chimaev seemed to issue a challenge of sorts to Alex Pereira on social media, following on from previous talk of the two colliding in a superfight. In the post-fight press conference, though, Pereira politely let Chimaev know that he isn’t interested at this time.

    Alex Pereira responds to Khamzat Chimaev

    “Thanks for the congratulations, but I want a super fight. Like I said, I want to fight at heavyweight. So, thanks only for the congratulations.”

  • ‘Beat The Common Cold First Pal’ – Fans Brutally Roast Khamzat Chimaev For Saying He’s Ready To Fight Alex Pereira At Heavyweight

    ‘Beat The Common Cold First Pal’ – Fans Brutally Roast Khamzat Chimaev For Saying He’s Ready To Fight Alex Pereira At Heavyweight

    Khamzat Chimaev seems resolute about facing Alex Pereira.

    On Saturday, Pereira secured a swift first-round TKO over Magomed Ankalaev, reclaiming the UFC light heavyweight title in the main event of UFC 320 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

    Now that the 205-pound title is once again his, “Poatan” faces no shortage of challengers eager for a shot. Jiri Prochazka stands out as a top candidate for a potential trilogy after defeating Khalil Rountree Jr. the same night, with Carlos Ulberg also in the mix.

    Interestingly, newly crowned UFC middleweight champion Chimaev issued a bold challenge, calling for a potential champ vs. champ showdown with Pereira following UFC 320.

    However, speaking on the About Last Fight show, Pereira brushed off the proposed matchup, saying he’s eyeing a super fight against former two-division champion Jon Jones at the UFC White House event planned for June 2026.

    “Heavyweight [is the most probable next move], Pereira through an interpreter. “I want a super fight. It would be at the White House, against Jon Jones, that’s a super fight.”

    On Sunday, “Borz” reiterated his determination to face Pereira, stating he’s prepared to meet the Brazilian star at heavyweight.

    “I’m ready to fight you in the heavyweight, you won’t find a super fight than our fight no chama this is SMASH EVERYBODY, Khamzat Chimaev wrote on X.”

    Khamzat Chimaev Faces Backlash From Fans Over His Claim To Fight Alex Pereira At Heavyweight

    Khamzat Chimaev’s claim to chase Alex Pereira into the heavyweight division failed to resonate with most fans on social media, who not only mocked “Borz” for making what they saw as unrealistic promises while reminding him to focus on defending his middleweight belt in his own division.

    https://twitter.com/Earl_Of_Chester/status/1974979521184157699

    Khamzat Chimaev was last in action at UFC 319 in August, where he claimed the 185-pound title by defeating Dricus Du Plessis via lopsided unanimous decision win. “Borz” currently boasts an undefeated 9-0 record in the UFC, including six wins by finish.

    Khamzat Chimaev
    Image: @ufc/X
  • Khamzat Chimaev’s future: Merab Dvalishvili breaks down how to beat him

    Khamzat Chimaev’s future: Merab Dvalishvili breaks down how to beat him

    UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili has given his thoughts on what a good strategy would be if you’re hoping to try and defeat Khamzat Chimaev.

    Right now, Merab Dvalishvili and Khamzat Chimaev are among two of the most exciting fighters in all of mixed martial arts. While Merab prepares to defend his strap for the third time at UFC 320 this weekend, Khamzat is still basking in the glory of his recent triumph over Dricus du Plessis that saw him become the new UFC middleweight champion.

    As we look ahead to the future, it certainly seems like Khamzat Chimaev has a good chance of holding onto the belt for a long time. With that being said, it all comes down to how his opponents approach their fights against him. ‘Borz’ is known for smothering his opponents and making them feel incredibly uncomfortable, specializing in a style that often helps him make it look easy when he takes on his foes.

    In a recent interview, Merab Dvalishvili gave his thoughts on what the key to victory might be for anyone who dares step into the cage to face Khamzat.

    Merab Dvalishvili’s view on Khamzat Chimaev

    “I don’t want to fight Khamzat. But if you want to fight Khamzat, you must know jiu-jitsu very well: escape positions, create space, bottom leg out, and get up. Also, when you’re standing, you have to do work. 

    “You should not just walk to Khamzat like Kevin Holland. You have to run away, keep distance, because Khamzat touches and shoots. You have to run, take your time, and know how to get up like Gilbert Burns did when escaping.”

  • How Khamzat Chimaev Made Dricus Du Plessis Look like an Amatuer – Former UFC Champ Explains

    How Khamzat Chimaev Made Dricus Du Plessis Look like an Amatuer – Former UFC Champ Explains

    Former UFC champion TJ Dillashaw has given his thoughts on how Khamzat Chimaev was able to defeat Dricus du Plessis.

    As we know, Khamzat Chimaev is the new UFC middleweight champion. He dominated and defeated Dricus du Plessis in a fairly one-sided contest, cementing his position at the top of the division. Now, as we look ahead to the future, it seems like he’s going to have plenty of challengers nipping at his heels.

    There has been plenty of analysis of Khamzat Chimaev’s win, probably because of just how impressive it was for him to defeat someone like Dricus du Plessis so easily. Now, TJ Dillashaw has become the latest person to weigh in on how it all played out.

    TJ Dillashaw breaks down Khamzat Chimaev’s title win

    “Khamzat’s performance was nothing short of just stellar, man. The guy was amazing. Just made DDP look like an amateur fighter. For him to be able to take down DDP within the first minute and crucify him was insane. And for him to just keep repeating that round after round was a little bit unbelievable. 

    “I expected Hamzat to win the fight, but I didn’t expect it to be such a landslide of a fight. I know that DDP is a great champion, but again, Khamzat just made him look like an amateur.”

    “He’s fast. He’s like super fast at closing the ground… You see in all his fights, he comes out in the first like 30 seconds and he shoots on you. He shoots without even throwing any punches and he takes a shot. But I just think he’s that fast and that strong to be able to do it… DDP’s a great champion, but Khamzat’s that much better to be able to shoot from this far away and still get the takedown.”

  • Khamzat Chimaev’s Biggest Threat is Reinier de Ridder, According to Former Opponent

    Khamzat Chimaev’s Biggest Threat is Reinier de Ridder, According to Former Opponent

    Gilbert Burns believes that Khamzat Chimaev‘s biggest threat in his UFC middleweight title reign is Reinier de Ridder.

    As we know, Khamzat Chimaev is the reigning UFC middleweight champion. He dominated and defeated Dricus du Plessis to claim the belt and now, the focus has shifted to who his first challenger will be. There are plenty of options on the table, but one of the most obvious is Reinier de Ridder.

    RDR has been on fire since he first entered the promotion and now, it feels like he may be just one win away from a title shot. While he may now be facing Brendan Allen instead of Anthony Hernandez in his next bout, de Ridder could easily earn a crack at Khamzat Chimaev if he puts on yet another impressive performance.

    In the eyes of Gilbert Burns, who once took Khamzat Chimaev to the limit at welterweight, RDR could cause the champ some problems.

    Gilbert Burns’ view on Khamzat Chimaev vs Reinier de Ridder

    “I actually had a jiu-jitsu big camp in Brazil, I talked to Chimaev’s coach, his jiu-jitsu coach, who I fought before. He ask me who do you think is the hardest fight? I think it’s RDR. And then he said, me too, I think it’s RDR. I think he can win. I think his jiu-jitsu is high level. Trained with him a couple of times. Very long, very big. Not sure how he makes middleweight, he’s huge.”

    Regardless of how you examine it, Khamzat has a lot of possible contenders to deal with.

  • Paulo Costa believes Khamzat Chimaev is afraid to fight him

    UFC middleweight Paulo Costa believes that Khamzat Chimaev is afraid to fight him.

    As we know, Paulo Costa is a pretty interesting fighter in the world of mixed martial arts. While he’s clearly very talented, he’s also been responsible for some pretty outlandish remarks on social media. In addition to that, he hasn’t always lived up to his potential inside the cage, leaving many to wonder whether or not he’ll ever get back to the championship level.

    The good news for Paulo Costa, though, is that his rival Khamzat Chimaev is the new UFC middleweight champion. While that isn’t necessarily a guarantee of securing him a title fight, one or two more wins could well be enough given the demand there is out there to see this fight happen.

    In a recent interview, Paulo Costa doubled down on the idea that Khamzat is scared of making the fight happen.

    Paulo Costa believes Khamzat Chimaev is afraid of him

    “I’m looking always for the highest place, you know. Fight to go Chen, he’s holding the belt right now. And even before I called him in my last fight, my more fight, but let’s see. If it was just about me, I would fight him right now. But I’m going to follow what the matchmakers think would be better and I’ll be ready. But he’s afraid. 

    “He’s afraid always. He just hold the guys, you know, he’s marrying his balls for 25 minutes. Everybody one more fight, everybody going to be enough of that guy. That fight was horrible. I think one more and you know then they’re going to call me to cut his off.”

  • Is Khamzat Chimaev a Boring Fighter? Chael Sonnen Weighs In

    Is Khamzat Chimaev a Boring Fighter? Chael Sonnen Weighs In

    MMA analyst Chael Sonnen has given his thoughts on those suggesting that Khamzat Chimaev‘s approach at UFC 319 was boring.

    In the main event of UFC 319, Khamzat Chimaev dominated and defeated Dricus du Plessis. ‘Borz’ used his superior wrestling to completely overwhelm du Plessis from start to finish, and in doing so, he earned the right to call himself UFC middleweight champion.

    Of course, there are always those who are going to try and take away from what Khamzat Chimaev achieved. Some have even said that they found his style quite boring which, in itself, sounds like a strange take.

    Chael Sonnen recently gave his thoughts on this idea.

    Chael Sonnen’s view on Khamzat Chimaev ‘boring’ claims

    “The boring one in that fight was Chimaev and the one to blame in that fight was Chimaev, followed by the referee. Now, I know what you’re thinking, you’re thinking, ‘Okay, fine. Yeah, I guess Dricus is the third person that we blame.’ No. Find me an article. You’ll never find it. You will never find an article. Dricus has not even been mentioned, even though he was in there for the exact same amount of time. He’s not even mentioned. Fault has fallen to Chimaev. Fault has then fallen to the referee.”

    “From the beginning of this sport, if there’s a boring match, the boring match will only go to the victor. I mean, this is very consistent. I had a teammate, Matt Lin, who fought and beat Phil Baroni, and Matt got labeled boring and got pulled off TV. He’s so boring. And Phil Baroni, who was in the same contest, just not doing as well, that’s why he lost the contest, was labeled as one of the sport’s most exciting. Two guys in the same fight: one boring, other most exciting. You just kind of wonder how’s that possible.”

    “I’m just wondering what part of it was so bad. In many ways, he fights the way Islam fights and the way Khabib fought. Those are compliments. Matt Brown said, with complete respect, he fights a lot like Georges—which was the biggest draw in all of pay-per-view, which meant people liked the way that he fought. So what exactly was the problem?”

    “Was the ground-and-pound not vicious enough? Was it not mean enough? Did you need to see Dricus get hurt—not just dominated? Was dominated not enough? There’s no wrong answer, and I’m not trying to trap you right now. I’m just trying to have an open dialogue on if we’re going to change a rule so that doesn’t happen again, what rule is it that we would change?”

  • Referee Herb Dean Breaks Down Standing Up Khamzat Chimaev in UFC 319 Championship Match

    Referee Herb Dean Breaks Down Standing Up Khamzat Chimaev in UFC 319 Championship Match

    Herb Dean recently weighed in on some of the discourse regarding Khamzat Chimaev’s championship winning performance on August 16th and a specific decision made during the contest from a regulatory perspective. During an interview with Helen Yee Sports, Herb Dean touched upon Khamzat Chimaev having one of the more dominant performances in UFC history over previous champion Dricus du Plessis.

    Some observers have called the grappling heavy performance boring or tantamount to stalling which did lead to a stand up not onc ebut twice from assigned in-cage official Marc Goddard. Conversely, some saw the refinement of skill needed to dominate an opponent of that caliber.

    Considering he is one of the more tenured referees in the game and has a lot of localized insights on the craft in the context of how he perceived the story that unfurled in the UFC 319 main event and Marc Goddard’s decision making in that DDP vs. ‘Borz’ bout, Dean said,

    “It’s an ongoing conversation that everyone and the stakeholders and everyone in the sport has, but what do we want this sport to look like? Do we want people to achieve a dominant position, which if you’re not using it to beat your opponent could almost be looked at as a hiding place, a place to burn time? I’m never gonna accuse Khamzat of hiding, because the man’s a savage.”

    (mfn_mma & Herb Dean on Instagram)

    “But if you get a position, like, we can break that one down, the crucifix chest-to-chest position, not a lot of height, very difficult to get a place where you can punch your opponent. Sometimes he’s able to get elbows and you want to reward people, but at the same time, you want to reward someone with a 10-8 for trying to finish their opponent, for taking a risk. It takes a risk to make some space to posture, where you’re going to be able to maybe finish the fight. And I think that’s what we want our sport to look like.”

    Khamzat Chimaev Aiming to Become a Triple Champion in the UFC - Middleweight, Welterweight, and Light Heavyweight

    Khamzat Chimaev and fighters in general “should be trying to work for a finish” says Dean

    Further discussing aspects of Khamzat Chimaev’s record breaking 185 pound title win in Chicago, Dean continued,

    “We want people, if they have a dominant position, we want to see effort to finish the fight, effort to initiate fight-ending sequences. That’s what we’re looking for. If someone’s not in a position where they’re maintaining a safe position but they’re not able to diminish their opponent and finish the fight, then that’s a situation where people are going to get a warning to work. And when they say work, you know, I think you always should be trying to work for a finish.”

  • Khamzat Chimaev Didn’t Even Use Advanced Grappling Techniques to Control Dricus Du Plessis “Only the Basics” – MMA Analyst

    Khamzat Chimaev Didn’t Even Use Advanced Grappling Techniques to Control Dricus Du Plessis “Only the Basics” – MMA Analyst

    MMA analyst Chael Sonnen has provided an interesting perspective on Khamzat Chimaev‘s dominant UFC 319 win over Dricus du Plessis.

    In the main event of UFC 319, Khamzat Chimaev defeated Dricus du Plessis to become the new UFC middleweight champion. He did so by utilizing his superior wrestling skills from start to finish, and by the time the fight was over, it was pretty clear to see that he had comfortably earned the right to call himself the new champ.

    While Khamzat Chimaev was impressive, though, many felt as if Dricus du Plessis produced a disappointing performance. Of course, only DDP himself knows what he was capable of in there, and it’d be intriguing to see what would happen if they ran it back one day.

    In a recent video, Chael Sonnen provided an analysis of how Khamzat Chimaev was able to control Dricus du Plessis in Chicago.

    Chael Sonnen’s view on Khamzat Chimaev’s UFC 319 win

    “It’s very important that you understand how Chimaev controlled Dricus because you’ve never seen this before. I have never seen it and that includes in the practice room. Not to this extent, not with somebody of that level… So picture Dricus, he’s on all fours… Chimaev’s behind him… Dricus would like to stand up at that point, and he tried, but he failed. 

    “When you fail at that, your next best option is to get under attack. And when Chimaev attacked him, Dricus was ready for it. Dricus got reversals at one point, but he looked good. It created a grappling atmosphere, which is what Dricus is used to.”

    “Chimaev didn’t confuse and control Dricus due to his advancements. He controlled Dricus with the basics. Bump him forward. Pull him back. Take him left. Take him right. Make him reset. Make him reset. Make him reset as the time is ticking down. And that was the part that was the most fascinating. 

    “He outgrappled him by demonstrating less grappling than he was capable of. And that really bothered some people. I will just tell you, I’ve never seen it before.”

  • Khamzat Chimaev as UFC Champion is a ‘Disaster’ – But Not How you Expect, Former UFC Champ Explains

    UFC legend Michael Bisping has explained why Khamzat Chimaev being UFC middleweight champion is a nightmare for the rest of the division.

    Khamzat Chimaev captured the middleweight title at UFC 319 by dominating Dricus du Plessis. He did so with his incredible wrestling ability and ever since then, people have been wondering the same thing: who on earth is going to stop this guy? He is a force of nature and if he can do that to DDP, he can probably do it to a lot of other middleweights – if not all of them.

    Recently, Din Thomas said that he was concerned about Khamzat Chimaev being world champion due to his inactivity. He isn’t someone who tends to fight a great deal inside the cage, raising a few eyebrows about whether or not he would be an active champion.

    Michael Bisping, however, has a different thought process when it comes to the reign of Khamzat Chimaev.

    Michael Bisping’s thoughts on Khamzat Chimaev as UFC champion

    “I don’t mean because of what Din Thomas said. Din Thomas was like, ‘He isn’t going to be able to fight too frequently. He struggles to get visas and stuff like that.’ No, when I say this is a disaster, it’s a disaster for the division because from what I see there, ain’t nobody—ain’t nobody apart from Reinier de Ridder—ain’t nobody beating him. Reinier de Ridder is the only guy that has a shot because of the jiu-jitsu, because of the skills that he has off his back. Okay.”

  • Paulo Costa makes big claim about Khamzat Chimaev’s security at UFC 319

    UFC middleweight contender Paulo Costa has told a story about Khamzat Chimaev’s reported security at UFC 319.

    As we know, Paulo Costa isn’t a big fan of Khamzat Chimaev – who is now the middleweight champion after his dominant win over Dricus du Plessis at UFC 319. It seems unlikely that we’re going to see the two square off anytime soon, mainly because there are plenty of others in the division who are currently ahead of Costa in the pecking order.

    Still, you never know what could happen, especially after Paulo Costa’s impressive win over Roman Kopylov. He has the skills necessary to make a real run in this division but as so often seems to be the case, he may well be his own worst enemy. With that being said, that isn’t going to stop him from going on a verbal tirade against the champ from time to time.

    In a recent interview, Paulo Costa had the following story to tell about ‘Borz’.

    Paulo Costa’s story about Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 319

    “We had everything set up to go to Chicago after my fight against Roman Kopylov. We contacted UFC, and they said, ‘Paulo, it’s better you not go there because he might have like 20, many people surround him to protect him from you. So it’s better not to go.’ They said it’s a big fight to protect him from you. 

    “That’s what they said. I can’t believe that. He brought a whole army. He is the kind of guy who always walks with some guys to protect him too. They said, ‘It’s better you not go there because we don’t know where this guy is going to be in the arena and they can attack you or do something against you.’ So that’s crazy.”

  • Khamzat Chimaev’s style: Michael Bisping responds to critics of his dominant wrestling

    Khamzat Chimaev’s style: Michael Bisping responds to critics of his dominant wrestling

    UFC legend Michael Bisping has some thoughts on those who are going after Khamzat Chimaev for what they perceive to be a boring style of fighting.

    As we know, Khamzat Chimaev is the new UFC middleweight champion. He dominated Dricus du Plessis over five rounds in the main event of UFC 319 and in doing so, he firmly established himself as the best 185-pounder on the planet. Of course, because of his wrestle-heavy style, a lot of people weren’t big fans of how he secured the title.

    Despite that, Khamzat Chimaev will still likely be recognized as one of the biggest stars in the sport today – and rightfully so. He has had a great rise to the top, and it’ll be really interesting to see how long he remains champion.

    In a recent video, Michael Bisping had some words for those who have been criticizing Khamzat Chimaev in recent days.

    Michael Bisping’s view on Khamzat Chimaev

    “Some people might not have liked the performance, but those people should watch boxing or kickboxing. This is mixed martial arts. I hated fighting wrestlers. I wanted to stand and trade punches, knees, elbows, kicks. But you have to be able to fight wrestlers and stop takedowns. You can’t blame Khamzat for taking someone down like that. The man had 21 minutes of control time in a 25-minute fight. It’s ridiculous, but that’s the sport.”

    Love him or hate him, Khamzat has found a style that works, and it’s taken him all the way to a championship.

  • Reinier de Ridder Knows He Can Beat Khamzat Chimaev Anywhere

    Reinier de Ridder Knows He Can Beat Khamzat Chimaev Anywhere

    UFC middleweight contender Reinier de Ridder firmly believes that he will be able to defeat Khamzat Chimaev if the two do fight each other.

    As we know, Khamzat Chimaev is the current king of the middleweight division after knocking off former champion Dricus du Plessis at UFC 319. We also know that Reinier de Ridder is set for a title eliminator at UFC Vancouver when he squares off with Anthony Hernandez, who is also in the midst of his best ever run as a UFC fighter.

    Reinier de Ridder has wasted absolutely no time since arriving in the promotion and he’s showing the kind of drive that is always going to appeal to Dana White and the matchmakers. If he can get through ‘Fluffy’, there will be absolutely no way of denying that he is next in line for a championship opportunity at 185 pounds.

    In a recent interview, Reinier de Ridder opened up on a possible showdown with Khamzat Chimaev and why he feels so confident about it.

    Reinier de Ridder discusses Khamzat Chimaev fight

    “The main thought in my mind is if he takes me down, great. If I take him down, great. If it’s in a clinch, great. If it’s in the stand up, it’s great. I’m not worried about where it goes at all. I think I can hit him with some good knees. I believe I can take him down. I have some cool stuff off my back as well, so yeah, we’ll see.”

  • Michael Venom Page Is ready to Go Through Fire, Show Valor vs. Khamzat Chimaev Post-UFC 319

    Michael Venom Page Is ready to Go Through Fire, Show Valor vs. Khamzat Chimaev Post-UFC 319

    Michael Venom Page is not obtuse to the fact that Khamzat Chimaev would be a rough night of work but it is a challenge he is game for, all the same. Appearing on The Ariel Helwani Show in the wake of his win over Jared Cannonier at UFC 319, MVP touched on multiple subjects related to his win over the former UFC middleweight title challenger.

    The former Bellator MMA star also touched on the fact that he is intrigued by a fight with the current UFC middleweight champion who emerged as the newly minted titleholder at the same UFC card Page just bested Cannonier on. In Chicago on August 16th, Chimaev defeated Dricus du Plessis in a dominant performance that saw him notch historic numbers in terms of the striking metrics as ‘Borz’ ascended to the throne.

    While MVP normally plies his trade at welterweight, he now has a pair of impressive wins at middleweight to his credit over Shara Magomedov and the aforementioned Cannonier. When discussing what could be a desired next step or a challenge in the future at the very least, Page said,

    “I was thinking about the champ, Khamzat Chimaev. I’ve had the privilege of being in the gym and watching him work. He is an absolute beast, an absolute animal. What he did was insane. At times I felt like he was being nice when he got someone in the crucifix. I don’t understand why he wasn’t raining down elbows. He was there for like four minutes at a time.”

    Michael Venom Page knows what he would be getting into, but wants to work against Khamzat Chimaev

    As Michael Venom Page further expounded upon his thoughts on the new UFC middleweight titleholder Khamzat Chimaev, Page continued,

    “That guy’s amazing. And I’ve got to make a decision to be really prepared to defend myself and get back up because in my head it doesn’t matter. You have to walk into that fight knowing that you’re going to spend some time on your back and you have to work from there.”

  • Khamzat Chimaev’s critics slammed by MMA analyst

    Khamzat Chimaev’s critics slammed by MMA analyst

    MMA analyst Chael Sonnen has given his thoughts on Khamzat Chimaev‘s critics following his win at UFC 319.

    As we know, Khamzat Chimaev defeated Dricus du Plessis in dominant fashion in the main event of UFC 319. In doing so, he captured the UFC middleweight championship, using his superior wrestling to completely shut down anything that was coming back his way from DDP.

    However, a lot of people weren’t big fans of Khamzat Chimaev’s approach to the fight. Many felt as if his wrestle-heavy style was too boring, and that it led to a disappointing bout when many were hoping for a real war between these elite middleweights.

    In a recent video, Chael Sonnen gave his thoughts on those who didn’t particularly enjoy Khamzat Chimaev’s triumph.

    Chael Sonnen questions Khamzat Chimaev’s critics

    “You’re calling a fight dull and boring based on inactivity that literally set an activity record by almost double. I had 311 – that was the record. 527 is what came in.”

    “There is a segment of our fan base that chose to call that fight boring. Now, you’re not wrong. You can’t be wrong. It’s an opinion… but the discussion has just gone from, ‘Hey, that match wasn’t as fun to watch,’ to, ‘We need a rule change. We need a rule change to bring these guys back up to their feet.’ And that’s where you’re jumping the shark. On that one, I must push back. You are going too far.”

    Do you agree with The Bad Guy?