Undefeated welterweight contender, Khamzat Chimaev still has hope that he stands across from former undisputed division champion and former pound-for-pound number one, Kamaru Usman at UFC 294 in October – claiming he has yet to be approached with another fight for the Middle East return yet.
Chimaev, the current number four ranked welterweight contender, has been sidelined since he co-headlined UFC 279 back in September of last year, submitting Kevin Holland with a first roud D’Arce choke submission win.
The victory propelled Chimaev to 12-0 as a professional, following a close, unanimous decision win over one-time title challenger, Gilbert Burns in April of last year.
In the midst of a six-fight undefeated run since landing in the Octagon back in 2020, Chimaev has yet to be booked for his return to active competition later this year, despite the fact he appears earmarked to fight at UFC 294 in October in Abu Dhabi, UAE.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic visited Khamzat Chimaev at Allstars Gym in Sweden
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And the Chechen-born contender appeared to have found himself a willing dance partner for the Etihad Arena card, with former welterweight champion, Usman offering to fight him following his trilogy rubber match title loss to Leon Edwards at UFC 286 in March.
However, UFC president, Dana White initially shot down the pairing – insisting he would not put together a catchweight contest, which both fighters appeared to welcome.
Khamzat Chimaev discusses potential return against Kamaru Usman
And according to Chimaev, a matchup with Auchi native, Usman appears to one he is still chasing, insisting he has not been offered another bout by the UFC.
“We train as usual here in Stockholm,” Khamzat Chimaev told Expressen during a recent interview. “We were in Dubai for training camp, but came back now. Then, a month before the match, we will go to Abu Dhabi. But otherwise, we train as usual here in Stockholm. We are ready for the match.”
“It could be (Kamaru) Usman, 90 percent,” Khamzat Chimaev explained. “But he’s talking about two kilos, he doesn’t want to gain two kilos. Dana White talks about 92 kilos – we’ll see. There was no other match. It’s just him.” (H/T MMA Mania)