Khamzat Chimaev believes he is closing in on a shot at UFC gold and will secure a world title fight after picking up just two more wins inside the Octagon.
The newest UFC starlet burst onto the scene earlier this summer. Since then he’s picked up three emphatic wins at two different weights. Chimaev scored a second-round submission win at middleweight over John Phillips in his UFC debut. Ten days later he was back fighting, this time at welterweight against Rhys McKee who was making his promotional debut. Chimaev secured a first-round TKO win in that bout.
After a few months away ‘The Wolf’ returned for his third fight, one many believed was a significant step up in against long-time 185lb contender Gerald Meerschaert on the UFC Fight Night: Covington vs. Woodley undercard. Chimaev proved people wrong by making quick work of his opponent, scoring a KO win with the first punch thrown just 17 seconds in. Just three fights at UFC level and Chiamev is confident he only needs a couple more to secure a shot at gold in the welterweight or middleweight division.
“I think now, two more fights,” Chimaev told Dan Hardy. “As for which weight class? “I don’t know. It doesn’t matter for me. Both guys, maybe both same day, both fights, we’ll see.”
Chimaev recently arrived on Yas Island to corner Guram Kutateladze in his UFC debut win over former dual weight KSW champion Mateusz Gamrot at UFC Fight Island 6. While here the undefeated Swedish fighter has been calling out anyone and everyone but is yet to nail down an opponent for his first main event slot which is set for December 19.
“I say to Dana White, just give me someone. They say right now ‘This guy not top 10, not top 5,’ Sometime they say nobody knows this guy. Everybody talk about me, how can you say nobody knows Khamzat? I think everybody’s scared. Everybody.”
“They ask me always, my manager calls me and says ‘Want to fight Thompson?’ I say yes. Then they say he don’t want fight,” Khamzat said. “They say Chris Weidman, I say yes. Chris Weidman don’t want fight. Demian Maia don’t want fight. They say Neil Magny, I say doesn’t matter, don’t ask me. Just give me somebody. 19 December they say okay let’s go, 19 December. Then Darren Till say something, I say come to Abu Dhabi. He say ‘I have fight in December,’ I also have fight in December. We can fight here and then in December also.” (Transcribed by MMA Mania)
How many more wins do you think Khamzat Chimaev needs to secure a title shot?