Ahead of his upcoming return to the Octagon at UFC 294 this weekend in Abu Dhabi, UAE, the undefeated Khamzat Chimaev has described himself as a newer version of incoming opponent and former champion, Kamaru Usman, using an analogy of software between iPhone models to boot.
Chimaev, the current number four ranked welterweight contender, has been sidelined from the Octagon since he co-headlined UFC 279 back in September of last year, submitting Kevin Holland with a first round D’Arce choke submission win in a reshuffled catchweight clash.
Making his middleweight division return this weekend against Usman following the cancellation of a bout with long-time rival and one-time division title challenger, Paulo Costa, Chimaev bids to improve his undefeated record to 13-0 – and take home the biggest scalp of his Octagon tenure yet.
Long-linked with a fight against former pound-for-pound number one, Usman, Chimaev and the Auchi native will vie to square-off with incumbent middleweight champion, Sean Strickland off the back of UFC 294 – with organizational CEO, Dana White slapping the billing of an official title-eliminator on the scrap.
Khamzat Chimaev describes himself as new version of Kamaru Usman
Sharing is thoughts on the matchup with Usman, who previously claimed that Chimaev’s “bubble” is sure to burst at some time, the Chechen claimed that a bout between the duo was always going to occur, as he envisions himself as a new and improved version of the ex-champion.
“Yeah, of course, because since day one, when I get to the UFC, everyone spoke about Khamzat (versus) Usman, Khamzat (versus) Usman, our wrestling skills, our striking, all of these things, you know,” Khamzat Chimaev told assembled media during his availability ahead of UFC 294. “Usman is like a fighter like me. But, he’s old version, I’m new, you know. He’s like different – you know, like iPhones come out, he’s like iPhone 5, and I’m like the [iPhone] Pro. It’s different, so, yeah.”
Khamzat Chimaev compares Kamaru Usman to an "old version" of the iPhone, with Chimaev being the "pro" model
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Who wins at UFC 294: Khamzat Chimaev or Kamaru Usman?