Khamzat Chimaev, through his statement-making win over Robert Whittaker at UFC 308, has shut the skeptics up. While he has positioned himself emphatically for a title shot, Daniel Cormier feels there might be a wait involved.
Chimaev’s rise reminds the former UFC champion of Khabib Nurmagomedov’s bloody path to the top. Just like how Khabib had to wait patiently to get a title shot, mostly due to circumstances beyond his control including injuries, Cormier feels Chimaev could face hurdles despite proving he is more than ready.
Chimaev has that “Khabib feel,” says Cormier… A champion-in-waiting vibe that fans and fighters can sense. DC believes Chimaev should have had his title shot by now.
“Khabib could not get to the fights. And so it was like a matter of time before he finally got there. It feels like Chimaev is going to get there, it is just a matter of being at the right place at the right time,” said Cormier, talking to his Good Guy/Bad Guy co-host, Chael Sonnen.
Indeed, it took a long time for Khabib to get to the title because he was considered “boring”. The one-sided bouts in which the Russian used to destroy his opponents were not entertaining enough, perhaps.
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Chimaev’s case is a bit different though. He has never been branded boring. Over the past two years, his struggle has been to stay fit and active. A number of health complications led him to pull out of fights. If he is able to stay healthy, he should face Dricus du Plessis next, even though Sean Strickland has laid claim to a rematch for the middleweight title already.
Things change quickly in the Octagon, though. Now that Chimaev fractured Whittaker’s jaw, that too with a chokehold, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Dana White let him have a go at the UFC middleweight champion.
DDP promises to take Chimaev’s ‘O’
The UFC middleweight champ had a front-row seat at UFC 308, enjoying a up-close view of Chimaev restructuring Whittaker’s jawline. The loss has most likely ended the Australian’s title shot aspirations while it left an ominous sign for Du Plessis, one linked with his rise.
Whittaker was the fighter he had also beaten to get his successful title shot. Du Plessis surely can’t ignore the Chechen fighter’s rise now.
He did congratulate Chimaev on social media soon after the bout, while also making it clear that he’s ready to “take his O” (end the unbeaten run).
Though it is widely anticipated that Du Plessis will have a rematch with Strickland early next year, UFC 308 may have tipped the match-makers in Chimaev’s favor. White has already hinted at the possibility of rearranging things, given the hype surrounding a “Stillknocks” vs. “Borz” showdown.
It will be truly a sight to see Chimaev’s raw power go toe-to-toe with DDP’s Drunken Kung Fu master style.
