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Khamzat Chimaev Plots Middleweight Return With UFC 279 Win Over Nate Diaz

Khamzat Chimaev insists that he is willing to make a return to the middleweight limit of 185lbs should welterweight kingpin, Kamaru Usman elect to sit out should he defeat incoming title challenger, Leon Edwards in August. Khamzat Chimaev, who returns to the Octagon himself in September, headlines UFC 279 against one-time lightweight title challenger and […]

Khamzat Chimaev, who returns to the Octagon himself in September, headlines UFC 279 against one-time lightweight title challenger and sport veteran, Nate Diaz – in search of his sixth UFC victory from six Octagon walks.

The Chechen bruiser most recently featured at UFC 273 back in April against former welterweight championship chaser, Gilbert Burns, scoring the most high-profile victory of his Octagon tenure to date with a unanimous decision effort.

As for Diaz, the Stockton fan-favorite will complete his contractual obligations when his five round headliner with Chimaev concludes on September 10. – as the veteran plans his exit from the promotion to boot.

Khamzat Chimaev appears willing to accommodate the welterweight champion post-UFC 279

#3 ranked welterweight contender, Chimaev has, however, opened the door to a middleweight division return should he defeat Diaz, and Usman defeats Edwards – amid consistent rumblings of clashes with both Israel Adesanya and Alex Pereira.

“After (Nate) Diaz, maybe I’m gonna go up (to middleweight),” Khamzat Chimaev told Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour. “If (Kamaru) Usman wanna wait a long time, maybe I’m gonna go up to ‘84 (sic) and fight somebody there – because I wanna take both belts.”

Expected to likely challenge for welterweight gold with a victory over Diaz in two months’ time, Chimaev, as mentioned earlier, has been continually linked with a middleweight outing against either champion, Adesanya, or fellow berserker – Pereira – who themselves are expected to meet in a middleweight title offing before the conclusion of 2022.

During his promotional-perfect tenure, Chimaev has landed a quintet of John Philips, Rhys McKee, Gerald Meerschaert, Li Jingliang, and the aforenoted, Burns.

Undefeated 2-Division Champion Reinier de Ridder Targeting A Third Belt Before Fighting Israel Adesanya

Dutch fighter Reinier de Ridder is set on getting a third belt before competing with Israel Adesanya. Two-division ONE Championship king Ridder scored a major upset against former two-title holder Aung La Nsang to secure the middleweight strap in October 2020 at ONE: Inside the Matrix. Considering how big of a shock the result was, […]

Dutch fighter Reinier de Ridder is set on getting a third belt before competing with Israel Adesanya.

Two-division ONE Championship king Ridder scored a major upset against former two-title holder Aung La Nsang to secure the middleweight strap in October 2020 at ONE: Inside the Matrix.

Considering how big of a shock the result was, some alleged the win to be a fluke. De Ridder would prove the doubters wrong when he stepped in on short notice to take on La Nsang at light heavyweight and defeated “The Burmese Python” one more time at ONE on TNT 4 in April 2021.

Reinier de Ridder eyeing a move up to heavyweight to get the third belt

De Ridder is set to defend his middleweight strap against Vitaly Bigdash at ONE 159 this Friday. Ahead of his upcoming bout, “The Dutch Knight” talked to talkSPORT about his plans next.

“I’ve been calling for it for a couple of fights now, but heavyweight is there. I’ve beat the welterweight champ. I’ve beat the middleweight champ. I’ve beat the light-heavyweight champ, so I think it’s time,” de Ridder said.

Although he makes a solid case for going up to heavyweight and challenging the reigning champion Arjan Bhullar, he’s not sure if he’ll get the chance as Bhullar eyes a move down to compete against him.

“Is ONE [Championship] interested? I’m not really sure right now. Arjan [Bhullar] is not because he’s been talking about coming back down the light-heavyweight, which is also fine to me. I just wanna know that I can beat everybody and I just wanna show everybody,” De Ridder said. (Transcribed by Jordan Ellis/talkSPORT).

De Ridder wants to fight Israel Adesanya

If De Ridder is able to prove his mettle in the Asian promotion up to his satisfaction, he will then target a move over to the UFC in hopes of a fight with Israel Adesanya. He talked about Adesanya’s lackluster performance in his last title defense against Jared Cannonier at UFC 276.

“I think he’s a bit too distracted, man. I think he’s too focused on everything around fighting and not fighting itself. It’s about the walkout. It’s about the social media stuff. It’s about the metrosexuality [laughs] – the painted fingernails,” de Ridder said.

“It’s all show now, fighting is not the primary thing. I think he should get back to his roots, put his phone away, put the laptop away and start training again.”

De Ridder believes he has what it takes to hand Adesanya his first defeat at 185 lb in the sport.

“I think he’s very, very vulnerable in the open space. His takedown defence against the fence is alright but in the open space it’s just not there,” de Ridder said.

“It’s not like, he does have power, but he doesn’t have one-shot knockout power, to be honest. You don’t need to be as cautious as most people are against him. You can eat a couple of shots before taking him down.

“I think it’s pretty possible. It’s something that might happen sooner rather than later.”

Would you like to see Reinier de Ridder fight Israel Adesanya?

Cejudo Apologizes To Adesanya For ‘Talking Too Much’

Former two-division UFC champion Henry Cejudo has backtracked on his criticism of Israel Adesanya, with a dream about the reigning middleweight king spurring him to apologize. At UFC 276 earlier this month, Adesanya’s fifth title defense headlined International Fight Week in Las Vegas. While he comfortably added the name of powerhouse Jared Cannonier to his…

Continue Reading Cejudo Apologizes To Adesanya For ‘Talking Too Much’ at MMA News.

Sean Strickland: Adesanya Is The Best But Also A B**ch

Sean Strickland admits that Israel Adesanya is the best, but that doesn’t mean his personal feelings on the middleweight champion have changed. Strickland was recently interviewed by “The Schmo” and offered his thoughts on the UFC middleweight champion and the current scope of the division. This comes weeks after Strickland suffered a knockout loss to…

Continue Reading Sean Strickland: Adesanya Is The Best But Also A B**ch at MMA News.

Dustin Jacoby: ‘Alex Pereira Just Hits Different’

Dustin Jacoby is coming off a huge win this past Saturday at UFC: Long Island, but he has some great things to say about Alex Pereira, his former opponent at Glory kickboxing. Jacoby knocked out up and coming prospect Jung Da Un in his most recent fight, continuing to climb the ranks of the Light […]

Dustin Jacoby is coming off a huge win this past Saturday at UFC: Long Island, but he has some great things to say about Alex Pereira, his former opponent at Glory kickboxing.

Jacoby knocked out up and coming prospect Jung Da Un in his most recent fight, continuing to climb the ranks of the Light Heavyweight division. He is one of the best up and coming fighters int he division, and has made a name for himself with his striking and toughness.

Jacoby is known for having. pretty good chin on him, but he has been knocked out before from the hands of Pereira back in his days as a kickboxer for Glory. It remains to be the only time Jacoby has been knocked out clean in his professional career.

Pereira is also making a name for himself quickly inside the octagon. In very little time with the UFC, he has had a few mesmerizing knockouts. He took a huge jump in competition when he accepted a fight against title contender, Sean Strickland. He made quick work of Strickland by putting his lights out in the first round, while barely taking any damage himself.

Dustin Jacoby has touched on Alex Pereira’s superhuman like power in a recent interview

When asked if Pereira was the hardest hitter he has ever fought against, Jacoby was quick to answer.

“No. 1, hands down. It’s not even a close comparison,” Jacoby said. “Dude, I have a great chin. That’s not something to be real proud of, but if you’re going to be fighting people for a living, you better bring that to the table. If you’ve got a good chin, you’ve got a good chance of staying the fight. And with him, he just touches people different.” (Transcribed by MMAFighting)

Jacoby believes that Pereira has a real chance of beating Israel Adesanya and putting his light out again, if ‘Izzy’ isn’t careful. Pereira had beaten Adesanya twice in his kickboxing career, one time by knowing the current Middleweight champion out cold.

Marvin Vettori Can Relate To Adesanya’s ‘False Advertising’

UFC middleweight contender Marvin Vettori has suggested that champion Israel Adesanya’s perceived-to-be ‘safe’ performance at UFC 276 was nothing new. Headlining International Fight Week in Las Vegas earlier this month, Adesanya collided with the latest challenger to his lengthy 185-pound reign. Having previously brushed aside the efforts of Vettori, Robert Whittaker, Yoel Romero, and Paulo…

Continue Reading Marvin Vettori Can Relate To Adesanya’s ‘False Advertising’ at MMA News.