Khamzat Chimaev’s new cold and calculated approach to fights hasn’t gone unnoticed. His dominant victory over former champion Robert Whittaker was precise, powerful, and a warning shot to the rest of the division.
UFC middleweight prospect Michael ‘Venom’ Page highlighted Chimaev‘s impressive growth and intelligence inside the octagon and hailed the performance as a clear indicator of his evolution as a fighter.
Speaking exclusively to Red Corner MMA, MVP explained what he sees in this new version of Borz and said that, unlike the relentless attacks that Borz used to mount on his opponents, he is now prepared to ease up, take a read of the room and fight for the entirety of five rounds.
“He was picking his shots, that Khamzat could go five rounds, which is dangerous for anybody in the division. It was impressive to see his growth and intelligence in that fight. I could definitely see that being a problem for everybody.”
View this post on Instagram
Page went on to add that in the fight against Kamaru Usman, Chimaev fought like he was in a bar fight. The Chechen fighter might have won that fight but looked out of sorts by the ascension of the third round and had the fight been for five, Usman would have found a way to finish him off.
Thankfully, he learned his lesson and decided to be almost mathematical in his approach against Whittaker. And with that jaw-breaking win, he is now in contention for the UFC middleweight title, leaving former champion Sean Strickland miles behind.
Dana White to give Chimaev a title shot
Chimaev’s meteoric rise might have been halted due to COVID and the health conditions he faced for years after that but it all seems to be a thing of the past now. With his performance at UFC 308 in October, he is all for guaranteed a title shot in the near future. Even middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis believes he is more deserving of the title shot than Strickland.
UFC CEO, White was also thoroughly impressed, calling it Chimaev’s best showing yet, and revealed plans to see him fight for the middleweight title in 2025.
Strickland stands in between the two, however, but the former champion is not helping his case by refusing to fight in South Africa and Australia. He wants to win the title in the land of the free and home of the brave. Ironically, White is hopeful that Chimaev’s next big fight, potentially for the belt, will take place in the U.S.
Chimaev hasn’t fought stateside since his quick finish of Kevin Holland at UFC 279 in Las Vegas.
