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Khamzat Chimaev and Alex Pereira Rumored for UFC Showdown, Former Champ Picks Borz over Poatan

Alex Pereira vs. Khamzat Chimaev The undefeated MMA athlete Khamzat Chimaev is rumored to face Alex Pereira, the UFC Light Heavyweight Champion, in a…

The undefeated MMA athlete Khamzat Chimaev is rumored to face Alex Pereira, the UFC Light Heavyweight Champion, in a potential blockbuster fight. A former UFC Champion says despite Chimaev going up a weight class, defeating ‘Poatan’ would be easy for ‘Borz.’

Alex Pereira vs. Khamzat Chimaev

Khamzat Chimaev is renowned for his dominant wrestling and relentless pressure in MMA. He has an unbeaten background in freestyle wrestling at the national level in Sweden. Recently, he showcased his skills by defeating former champion Robert Whittaker at UFC 308. The win earned praise from ‘The Reaper’ Whittaker, who described him as an exceptional talent in the sport.

Despite his loss, Whittaker offered insights into how a matchup between Chimaev and Alex Pereira might unfold. Speaking on the MMAArcade podcast, Whittaker predicted that Chimaev’s wrestling could give him the edge early in the fight.

However, he cautioned that if Chimaev’s stamina falters, Pereira’s elite striking and knockout power could take over, potentially turning the fight into a “slaughter.”

Pereira, a former UFC Middleweight Champion and one of the most feared strikers in the sport is known for his devastating left hook and ability to maintain precision even when fatigued. ‘Poatan’ comes from a kickboxing background where he was feared for his tremendous power.

Khamzat Chimaev has expressed ambitions to become a triple-division champion. He is eager for the opportunity to challenge Alex Pereira. Following his victory at UFC 308, Chimaev reiterated his desire to claim titles in multiple divisions, although UFC President Dana White has yet to confirm any plans. Khamzat Chimaev was passed over for a middleweight title shot against Dricus Du Plessis.

Meanwhile, Pereira recently hinted on social media that his next fight won’t be against Magomed Ankalaev, fueling speculation about a clash with Chimaev.

If the fight materializes, it will pit Chimaev’s grappling power against Pereira’s striking power. Whittaker’s endorsement of Chimaev as a potential victor adds to the intrigue, but he also acknowledges the dangers Pereira poses if the fight stretches into the later rounds. For now, fans can only wait and speculate as the UFC finalizes its plans for two of the sport’s most exciting athletes.

“Scammers” – Colby Covington Goes Off On Khamzat Chimaev and Khabib Nurmagomedov

Colby Covington condemned Khamzat Chimaev’s involvement in a cryptocurrency scam that reportedly ripped off his fans to the tune…

Colby Covington condemned Khamzat Chimaev’s involvement in a cryptocurrency scam that reportedly ripped off his fans to the tune of a million dollars.

Ahead of Chimaev’s return to the Octagon at UFC 308 in October, ‘Borz’ was embroiled in controversy after he had advertised a meme coin called SMASH, named after his popular “smash” or “smesh” catchphrase. Chimaev hyped the coin on his social media channels which prompted the value of the coin to grow exponentially. 24 hours later, the value plummeted to zero, leaving many fans feeling like they’d had the rug pulled out from under them.

Shortly after, Chimaev’s manager Majdi Shammas took full responsibility, claiming that he had encouraged Chimaev to record the videos, but didn’t do enough research to ensure that the company they were working with was legit.

Colby Covington isn’t buying that excuse.

“Dude, he’s an absolute scumbag. The fact that he rug-pulled all his fans—that’s the most disgusting act I’ve ever seen in MMA. Him and Khabib, like, just absolute scammers,” Covington said during Wednesday’s UFC Tampa media day.

“Dude, you’re making good money with the UFC. Now you’re going to rug-pull and do a fake MCO and scam all your fans for millions of dollars? I mean, these are fans that are working their asses off every day at McDonald’s or other low-income-paying jobs. They’re investing in him because they trust the fighter and they like their fighter. And for him to just crap on all his fans like that? It’s disgusting. “I mean, that’s why he’s c*m-shot, you know? The guy’s literally just the worst person on Earth. It’s so sad that he did that to his fans.”

Colby Covington doesn’t think chimaev is ‘anything special’ inside the octagon

Covington also took aim at Chimaev’s skills inside the Octagon, suggesting that the unbeaten Chechen monster isn’t nearly as special as the UFC likes to suggest.

“As an MMA fighter, I don’t think he’s anything special. You know, I think he got exposed in that Gilbert Burns fight—that he doesn’t have good cardio,” Covington said. “I thought Usman beat him, you know, when they fought. If that would have been five rounds, Usman would have beat him for sure. But even in three rounds, I thought Usman beat him 2-1.

“So, I don’t see anything special out of CH. He needs to stop scamming his fans.”

Following a lackluster showing against then-welterweight champion Leon Edwards around this same time last year, Covington is back to headline the UFC’s final event of 2024.

Heading to Tampa, Florida, ‘Chaos’ will square off with rising knockout artist Joaquin Buckley in a bout that could carry major title implications in the new year.

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Sean Strickland’s Coach Explains Picking Dricus Du Plessis As ‘Toughest Challenge’ Over Khamzat Chimaev

Sean Strickland is set to challenge for the UFC middleweight title for the second time in his upcoming rematch with Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 312. The former champion stuck to the idea that he would wait for his shot at “Stillknocks” following his win over Paulo Costa in June and it paid off for […]

For his head coach at Xtreme Couture, Eric Nicksick, the next few months will be all about looking at what they need to do differently in order to defeat Du Plessis in Sydney, Australia. Their first meeting at UFC 297 came down to a close split decision that saw the South African become the 185-pound champion.

For several weeks following his submission win over Robert Whittaker at UFC 308, it looked like the promotion might be heading towards Khamzat Chimaev as the next title challenger for Du Plessis. Though they aren’t thinking about it right now, both teams will know that if they come out on top in February, Chimaev will likely be their next opponent.

Nicksick spoke in a recent interview with Submission Radio about which opponent is a bigger threat to Strickland out of the current champion and the other top contender in the division. He explained why in his opinion, as of right now, Du Plessis is their biggest challenge.

“I mean, you would have to say [Dricus du Plessis] because he won, he beat us. Right now you have to say that [he’s the tougher matchup] because that’s the task at hand. I think Khamzat presents tons of different variables to his style that we’re gonna have to look at how to break down once that challenge presents itself. But right now, DDP is the toughest challenge for us.”

Dricus Du Plessis On UFC Dismissing His Chimaev Preference For Next Defense: ‘Just For Clarification…’

UFC Middleweight Champion Dricus Du Plessis insists he is not “unhappy” about the promotion’s decision regarding his next challenger. During this past weekend’s pay-per-view broadcast, it was announced that Du Plessis will return to Australia — the site of his successful first defense against Israel Adesanya in August — to headline UFC 312 at Sydney’s […]

UFC Middleweight Champion Dricus Du Plessis insists he is not “unhappy” about the promotion’s decision regarding his next challenger.

During this past weekend’s pay-per-view broadcast, it was announced that Du Plessis will return to Australia — the site of his successful first defense against Israel Adesanya in August — to headline UFC 312 at Sydney’s Qudos Bank Arena.

Against him will be former champ Sean Strickland, who staked his claim for a chance at redemption opposite the man who dethroned him this past January when he outpointed Paulo Costa in a lackluster affair four months later. But while his shot has ultimately come to fruition, there was some doubt prior to the recent reveal.

The undefeated Khamzat Chimaev ran through Robert Whittaker in quick time at UFC 308 in October, garnering support for his claim to the next opportunity at Du Plessis’ belt. Even the champ himself made it clear that he favored a first-time clash with “Borz.”

But although that evidently fell on deaf ears, the South African says he’s more than happy to beat whomever the UFC places in front of him.

Just for clarification I preferred the Khamzat fight but the rematch is a fight most wanted before Khamzat vs Withaker. I’m not unhappy with the UFC’s decision like I said I’ll fight the man fans think is the next best guy he was promised the fight so Strickland it is.

— Dricus Du Plessis (@dricusduplessis) December 10, 2024

“Just for clarification, I preferred the Khamzat fight but the rematch is a fight most wanted before Khamzat vs (Whittaker),” Du Plessis wrote on X. “I’m not unhappy with the UFC’s decision. Like I said, I’ll fight the man fans think is the next best guy he was promised the fight so Strickland it is.”

He did, however, reiterate his belief that Strickland is not truly deserving of the shot at UFC 312 in response to a commenter.

I have to agree with you on that one

— Dricus Du Plessis (@dricusduplessis) December 10, 2024

“I have to agree with you on that one”

After falling on the right side of a split decision to capture the crown at Strickland’s expense in Canada, “Stillknocks” continued to prove his doubters wrong by submitting former two-time champ Adesanya at UFC 305.

Du Plessis will now look to secure a more definitive victory over Strickland to extend his lead in their rivalry to 2-0, before likely turning attention to Chimaev later in the year.

Read More: Jan B?achowicz Set To Return After 20-Month Layoff At UFC London In 2025

Inside the Gym: Coach Reveals Khamzat Chimaev and Sean Strickland’s Surprising Chemistry Despite Rivalry

MMA coach Eric Nicksick recently offered insight into the rivalry between former UFC champion Sean Strickland and star Khamzat…

MMA coach Eric Nicksick recently offered insight into the rivalry between former UFC champion Sean Strickland and star Khamzat Chimaev. Despite their heated trash-talking exchanges outside the octagon, Nicksick emphasized that the two fighters shared a respectful dynamic when training together in the gym.

Khamzat Chimaev and Sean Strickland Training Together

Strickland, who will look to reclaim his middleweight title at UFC 312 against Dricus du Plessis, has been vocal about his rivalry with Chimaev. Chimaev, a dominant force in the division, has made no secret of his desire for a title shot, which has fueled the tension between the two. Strickland brought up his ties to Ramzan Kadyrov and claims Khamzat Chimaev is a fake Muslim.

“They’re probably messaging each other, telling, you know, what they’re going to say next. Who knows?” Nicksick commented in an interview with Submission Radio, “But yeah, they seem like they got along just fine when they were training at the gym.”

The trash talk, which has included public jabs from both sides, seems to be a way to build the hype for their potential future showdown. According to Nicksick, however, their gym interactions were far from hostile.

“I loved having Khamzat in the gym. I loved having Darren Till in the gym,” Nicksick continued. “They elevated the game. Maybe you have to kind of build that bad blood amongst one another to go out and fight. But, you know, as far as I saw, when they were training together, everything was good.”

Sean Strickland will look to avenge his split-decision loss to du Plessis from UFC 297, while Khamzat Chimaev continues to make waves in the division, believing that he deserves his own shot at the title. Fans eagerly await whether their rivalry will reach its boiling point inside the octagon or remain a war of words for the time being.

UFC veteran says Sean Strickland Should Be Next in Line for the Title, Not Khamzat Chimaev

UFC veteran Chael Sonnen has voiced strong support for middleweight contender Sean Strickland over Khamzat Chimaev, stating that he…

UFC veteran Chael Sonnen has voiced strong support for middleweight contender Sean Strickland over Khamzat Chimaev, stating that he should be next in line for a title shot, rather than ‘Borz.’ Whereas the champion Dricus du Plessis has stated otherwise.

Sean Strickland Next, Not Khamzat Chimaev

In an interview with Helen Yee, the veteran shared his thoughts on the current landscape of the division, emphasizing that Strickland has earned his chance at the title through hard work and dedication. “Yes, what I want for Khamzat Chimaev is to see him fight Bo Nickal. Not for the title—he’ll get to the title eventually. But that’s Sean Strickland’s. That’s Sean Strickland’s opportunity. He’s been promised that; he earned that,” Chael Sonnen explained.

Sean Strickland’s determination to face the toughest opponents, including Khamzat Chimaev, has made a significant impression on Sonnen. The UFC veteran pointed out that Strickland was willing to fight Chimaev when few others dared, highlighting the courage he showed by stepping up. “Sean was willing to put the very title up against Chimaev. Sean went to training thinking he was gonna fight Chimaev, and he didn’t blink at all,” the veteran noted.

The athlete added that Strickland’s willingness to take on the challenge should be rewarded with a title shot. “There’s one guy that had the balls to go through Chimaev to get to a title, and that was Kamaru Usman, who didn’t get credit for it, and he should have.”

UFC middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis is waiting at the top for a clear contender, both Strickland and Chimaev are in the conversation. Stillknocks’ du Plessis defeated Strickland to capture the title and then defended it against former champion Israel Adesanya. The US-born earned a five-round decision against Paulo Costa to bounce back from his loss. Meanwhile, Khamzat Chimaev is 14-0 with his most recent win being a quick submission against former titleholder Robert Whittaker.

Arman Tsarukyan, a UFC contender, lost a submission grappling match against the middleweight Chimaev, Sonnen observed:

“I loved it. Khamzat choked him out there. There was a clip that went around, and I wish it would have been the whole thing … They do that occasionally for entertainment. I loved every second of that—nobody loses, right? They laugh, they smile, chalk it up to a workout. I love when guys go and do that. And I wish I would have seen 20 minutes of them wrestling, not just that one guillotine. I loved it.”

Strickland’s and Chimaev remain a topic of great discussion among analysts, but for now, Chael Sonnen is firm in his stance: “Sean wins that showdown—it’s his shot.”