Coach Andreas Michael believes Khamzat Chimaev is destined to become a two-division champion.
Allstar Training Center coach Andreas Michael believes the sky is the limit for Khamzat Chimaev.
The Swede thinks “Borz” is destined for championship success and envisions his prized student winning two UFC titles with back-to-back victories over welterweight champion Kamaru Usman and middleweight kingpin Israel Adesanya.
That’s “in a perfect world,” of course. Still, one that isn’t entirely outside the realm of possibility as Khamzat has demonstrated the ability to win impressively at welterweight and middleweight, with stoppage victories in both weight classes.
“I think that we would like to, me personally – I cannot talk about what Khamzat would like – but I would like to fight the winner of Leon or Usman,” Michael told Submission Radio in a recent interview. “That would be a very tough fight for both guys. (Fight) the winner of that one, and then move up directly. And if (Israel) Adesanya’s still the champion (at middleweight) after he fights (Alex) Pereira, which is a monster that guy, then we would fight the champ there – whoever is the champ there. I believe, in a perfect world for us, that’s how it would look. But you know, fighting is unpredictable.”
Khamzat last fought at UFC 273, where he defeated top-five welterweight Gilbert Burns via unanimous decision. He will return to the Octagon on Sept. 10 when he meets Nate Diaz in the UFC 279 main event at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.