Khamzat Chimaev made an prompt status with the UFC for his willingness to combat anybody at anytime. The Chechen-born Allstar Coaching Heart product ran out three straight wins between the middleweight and welterweight divisions in simply three months again in 2020, turning himself into one of many promotion’s most hyped prospects alongside the best way.
Whereas a depraved case of COVID and a climb towards title rivalry have slowed the tempo of his bookings currently, it doesn’t appear to have dampened Chimaev’s need to chase down larger and higher challenges. Together with, apparently, a possible combat with probably middleweight title challenger Alex Pereira.
Because it’s turned out, the UFC has completely totally different plans for Chimaev—with the July nineteenth announcement that he’ll be dealing with Nate Diaz in the principle occasion UFC 279 this coming September. That’s most likely for one of the best, contemplating Pereira’s response to ‘Borz’ calling for a combat between them. By all accounts, the Brazilian was something aside from impressed.
“Have a look at this man,” Pereira stated of Chimaev’s tweet in a latest interview on MMA Fighting’s Trocacao Franca podcast. “I’m going to combat for the belt, it’s assured. He desires to consideration. ‘Oh, I wanna combat this man.’ He is aware of I’m the following contender and he nonetheless says one thing like that. I’d wish to see [what he would do] if Dana White got here out and stated, ‘Alex, your shot at Adesanya is assured however he desires a while to organize, so combat this man first as a result of he desires to combat you. Your title shot continues to be assured.’ Let’s see what he would say.
“[Chimaev] desires consideration as a result of he is aware of it doesn’t make sense. I’m going to return and combat him after I’m already assured for the belt? He desires consideration, however he’ll need to take a quantity and return to the road.”
“These guys wanna make a reputation for themselves [by talking],” Pereira added. “If I wasn’t going to combat for the belt already and he stated one thing like that, hats off to him. However the best way he’s doing it, he’s a coward. He’s a coward searching for consideration.”
No phrase but on simply when followers may count on to see Pereira face off towards Adesanya within the Octagon. Nevertheless, ‘Poatan’ already holds a pair of victories over the ‘Final Stylebender’ from their kickboxing days, including a severe layer of intrigue to their first assembly below MMA guidelines. Couple that with Pereira’s 3-0 UFC run, together with a spectacular KO over Sean Strickland earlier this month, and UFC president Dana White has basically assured that the UFC is making him the following protection of Adesanya’s title.
“I f-cking assure you. I completely, positively assure you that the following combat that Israel Adesanya fights can be bat-sh-t nuts,” White instructed the assembled media on the UFC on ABC 3: Ortega vs. Rodriguez post-fight presser, talking of Pereira.
Within the meantime, Chimaev will simply need to accept his upcoming battle with Diaz, and the very probably welterweight title shot that may await him if he comes out of that reserving together with his hand raised.
