Michael Bisping goes all-in on Khamzat Chimaev after UFC 267.
Khamzat Chimaev returned for his fourth straight one-sided UFC win this past weekend, and like many fans and pundits, Michael Bisping seems to be fully on board his hype train. Chimaev easily dispatched a ranked contender in Li Jingliang, and the former middleweight champion says that win put the division on notice.
“Last night, Khamzat Chimaev officially arrived,” Bisping said on BT Sport’s UFC 267 review show. “I’m not saying Li Jingliang is the biggest name, but that’s a big step up in competition and that’s four times in a row now. These aren’t flukes.
“He’s a maniac, and he’s got one-punch knockout power as well,” he said. “He’s a problem. He’s a problem for a lot of people in the division.”
Bisping is convinced Chimaev is the real deal, and even said in jest that the champion Kamaru Usman should probably make up an excuse if he was offered the fight.
“What did he do? ‘Brother, brother come here,’” Bisping said in a Russian accent as he gave an impression of Chimaev. “Picked him up, then ‘I’m going to smash everybody! Let’s go!’ and then throws him down.
“The guy is a nutter! If I’m Kamaru Usman, I am giving him a big sidestep if I can. Say ‘Oh no, he hasn’t had enough fights yet. He needs to build himself a bit more!’ but (in reality, Usman would be like) ‘We need to wrestle! We need to work on our wrestling! He’s coming! Khamzat is coming!’”
Chimaev is now 10-0 overall with four straight wins in the UFC, and not a single bout going to a decision.