Watch an amateur Khamzat Chimaev s?a?n?d?b?a?g?… dominate his way to victory.
All the rage these past two weeks has been about Khamzat Chimaev.
His dismantling of John Phillips and Rhys McKee over an 11-day time frame made him the official hype train of 2020. Many people already see him as the second coming of Khabib Nurmagomedov.
But let’s give credit where it’s due, based on what we’ve seen so far. If there’s one thing you can tip your hat off to this young buck, it’s that he fights with a purpose. He knows exactly how to get to point B from point A. Every move is calculated, and that keeps him a step ahead all throughout.
Much like we’ve seen in his two UFC fights, Chimaev follows a concise gameplan: takedown-smother-smash. He will leave you no breathing room. As the opponent, it’s only a matter of time before you drown in those deep waters.
Just ask Khaled Laallam, the poor soul who got the raw end of the deal when he fought Chimaev in 2017. It must not feel good to play defense on your back for an entire fight, taking hammerfists upside the head.
As a fan, matchmaker, or promoter, it’s hard not to be impressed. But Uncle Dana, let’s hold off with the Kamaru Usman talk for now, yeah? Just out of respect for the top guys on your roster.
On a side note: Where else can you see little kids hanging out cage-side at an MMA event like they were in day care? That’s… unique.