In the short time that he has been in the UFC, Khamzat Chimaev has secured dominant wins in two weight classes. Chimaev is high on confidence right now and touted to be a champion soon. However, it appears as though the 29-year-old’s confidence knows no bounds. He recently, in a Smile 2 Jannah interview, stated that he could beat two all-time greats of the sport in two weight classes above middleweight.
During the interview, the host asked him his thoughts on how he would fare against several names. Two names that were brought up were heavyweight champion Jon Jones and light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira. When asked how he would fare against Jones, Chimaev answered confidently, saying he would back himself to beat Jones.
The host went on to ask the middleweight contender his thoughts on a matchup against former middleweight champion Alex Pereira. Chiamev stated that he had called out Pereira for a fight multiple times, but received no replies. He went on to state that Pereira is one of the best strikers in the UFC but has below-par wrestling. ‘Borz’ picked himself to beat Pereira as well.
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Needless to say, Chimaev’s confidence did not sit well with UFC fans, who had a few interesting things to say. Here are some of the best reactions from the fans.
One fan said, “Dude can’t even beat the flu”
Another fan added, “The times he’s been tested, it was a close fight between burns and Usman was winning at the end. This guy ain’t it.”
“Cocaine is a hell of a thing”– commented a fan
“Eveeerbody… Even Brock Lesnar” commented a fan, mocking Chimaev.
Chimaev was supposed to take on Sean Strickland this coming weekend at UFC 297. While fans were confused as to why he did not get the title shot, his recent tweets revealed exactly why that was the case.
Khamzat Chimaev to return to action in the first half of 2024?
Following his win over Usman at UFC 294, Dana White stated that Chimaev would get the next title shot. However, a few weeks later, Sean Strickland vs Dricus Du Plessis was announced.
While fans were confused at first, Chimaev shared a concerning health update last week, which explains his absence from the sport. ‘Borz’ suffered a broken hand during his fight against Usman. The 29-year-old underwent surgery for the same.
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Unfortunately, his return to action did not go as planned. The middleweight sensation provided additional proof of his hand injury with some hospital images, which also disclosed that he was suffering from an unidentified illness that delayed his recovery. The tweets have since been deleted and cast doubt over how soon Chimaev can return to action in 2024.
