Khamzat Chimaev expresses his desire to fight Jon Jones and claims to scare Sean Strickland and Dricus du Plessis. Read about Chimaev’s dream match and his aspirations for the middleweight title.
| Topic | Summary |
|---|---|
| Khamzat Chimaev vs. Jon Jones | Khamzat Chimaev reveals that his dream opponent in mixed martial arts is Jon Jones, acknowledging Jones as the best fighter in the world and expressing admiration for his achievements. Chimaev hopes to train with Jones and potentially face him in the future. |
| Chimaev vs. Strickland and Du Plessis | Ahead of the middleweight title clash between Sean Strickland and Dricus du Plessis, Khamzat Chimaev claims that both fighters are scared to face him. Despite doubts about his worthiness of a title opportunity, Chimaev remains determined to prove himself in the middleweight division. |
Khamzat Chimaev’s Dream Match
Khamzat Chimaev, the No.9-ranked middleweight fighter, recently revealed his dream mixed martial arts opponent – Jon Jones. Despite the two weight classes between them, Chimaev expressed his admiration for ‘Bones’ during an appearance on the Smile 2 Jannah podcast.
Chimaev acknowledged Jones as the best fighter in the world, with the most title defenses and a two-weight class champion. He emphasized that Jones is a legendary figure in MMA history, making him the dream match for anyone aspiring to leave their mark.
Although Chimaev is younger than Jones, he hopes the heavyweight champion doesn’t retire before they have a chance to fight. Chimaev even expressed interest in training together, as he admires Jones’ skills and has learned a lot from watching his training sessions.
When asked about a hypothetical prime matchup between himself and Jones, Chimaev admitted that it would be a tough fight for both of them. He mentioned training with Alexander Gustafsson, who previously faced Jones in a memorable bout, and expressed a desire to avenge Gustafsson’s loss.
However, Chimaev’s hopes of facing Jones may remain unfulfilled, as the heavyweight champion seems to be nearing retirement.
Chimaev Claims to Scare Strickland and Du Plessis
Ahead of the middleweight title clash between Sean Strickland and Dricus du Plessis at UFC 297, Khamzat Chimaev made bold statements about both fighters. Despite Chimaev’s victory over Kamaru Usman in a majority decision at UFC 294, Strickland and du Plessis have expressed doubts about his worthiness of a title opportunity.
Chimaev took to social media to claim that both Strickland and du Plessis are scared to face him. He humorously expressed surprise at the extent to which he apparently intimidates them.
While UFC CEO Dana White initially labeled Chimaev’s bout with Usman as a title eliminator, Chimaev’s performance was not as dominant as expected. The fight was closely contested, and many believe that if it had been a five-round fight, Usman would have emerged victorious. Furthermore, Chimaev sustained a hand injury during the fight, which likely impacted his ability to compete in a quick turnaround.
Despite these setbacks, Chimaev remains determined to prove himself and secure a title shot in the middleweight division.
