Khamzat Chimaev has risen to superstardom in an arguably quicker fashion than anyone in mixed martial arts (MMA) history. Because of this, he could be fighting for his first Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) title in no time.
However, current 170-pound Welterweight champion Kamaru Usman still sees the talk as a bit premature for the No. 11-ranked contender in “Borz.”
“Well, I mean, this guy hasn’t even fought in the top 10. He hasn’t even beat anyone yet,” Usman told fans at a public Q&A ahead of UFC 272 (h/t MMA News). ”So, I mean, [Colby] Covington is still standing in the way. So I think there’s still a couple more fights that he has to get through. But, like I say, I love to compete. When that fight presents itself, I’ll be here to compete.”
Chimaev is a flawless 11-0 in his career with his last four taking place inside the Octagon and all ending in about as dominant a fashion as one could ask for. Between all four opponents, Chimaev has only been hit twice. He last fought at UFC 267 in Oct. 2021 when dispatching of China’s “Leech,” Li Jingliang via first-round rear-naked choke submission (watch highlights).
The biggest test yet for Chimaev is surely to come in the form of his next opponent, former title challenger Gilbert Burns at UFC 273 on Apr. 9, 2022.
Meanwhile, Usman is healing up from a recent hand surgery to repair a damaged ligament and plans to defend in a rematch against Leon Edwards during International Fight Week this summer. On top of that, “The Nigerian Nightmare” has continued expressing his interest in heading over to the boxing world to challenge Saul “Canelo” Alvarez in September.
Regardless of how the year shakes out at 170-pounds, it looks to be an interesting one no matter the immediate results.