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Chael Sonnen ‘Not Sold’ On Khamzat Chimaev’s Size As A UFC Middleweight

Former UFC title challenger Chael Sonnen isn’t sure that Khamzat Chimaev is currently competing in the ideal weight class. Chimaev is days out from likely the biggest fight of his career, as he gears up to do battle with former middleweight champion and #3-ranked contender Robert Whittaker in the UFC 308 co-main event. The five-rounder […]

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Former UFC title challenger Chael Sonnen isn’t sure that Khamzat Chimaev is currently competing in the ideal weight class.

Chimaev is days out from likely the biggest fight of his career, as he gears up to do battle with former middleweight champion and #3-ranked contender Robert Whittaker in the UFC 308 co-main event.

The five-rounder in Abu Dhabi marks the undefeated fighter’s first outing in over a year. That’s after numerous illnesses and injuries kept him out following a win over Kamaru Usman in his return to 185 pounds.

“Borz” went back up in weight after a debacle on the scale that saw him come in well over the welterweight limit for a subsequently canceled 2022 pay-per-view headliner against Nate Diaz.

While many welcomed that change and believe the door is now shut on a 170-pound future for the Chechen star, Sonnen sees things differently, as he explained during a video recently uploaded to his YouTube channel.

Sonnen touched on the coaching change Chimaev has made to his camp, which he believes will be nothing but beneficial. But “The American Gangster” remains unsure if “Borz” can overcome what he sees as a size disadvantage in the middleweight division.

“If Chimaev is returning to the coach he had when he was 17, you’re going to see one of the best versions of Chimaev that you’ve seen before,” Sonnen said. “But that’s still Robert effing Whittaker. He will beat your ass. He will keep you on your feet and he will begin to bludgeon you.

“I’m also not sold on Chimaev’s size. I know some of you are. You’re saying that he’s pulling pretty hard to get down to 185 and 170 is long behind him. I’m getting other information, and I do know that he considered a title fight all the way at 170 (recently),” Sonnen continued. “I’m just not sold on how big he is at 185. I know how big Whittaker is at 185. I supported the concept of Whittaker going up to 205.”

In his last outing, Chimaev emerged victorious from a 185-pound contest. He was, however, facing a former welterweight champ in Usman who was making his debut in the division.

With that in mind, plenty of questions still surround his prospects of finding success in the higher weight class. And given the level of competition he’s set to face at UFC 308 this Saturday, it stands to reason that they will be answered soon enough.

Read More: Dricus Du Plessis’ Coach Says Khamzat Chimaev Will Be ‘Out Of His League’ Against Robert Whittaker

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“Violently Ill” Khamzat Chimaev Opens Up About Hospitalization Before UFC 308

Khamzat Chimaev closing as betting favorite to beat Kamaru Usman at UFC 294 Khamzat Chimaev was hospitalized with an illness ahead of his scheduled bout against Robert Whittaker in June, which has…

Khamzat Chimaev was hospitalized with an illness ahead of his scheduled bout against Robert Whittaker in June, which has not been rescheduled to UFC 308 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on October 26. ‘Borz’ opens up about his prior sickness.

Khamzat Chimaev Illness

Sporting an unblemished career record of 13-0, Khamzat Chimaev was one of the hottest prospects in the sport as he quickly racked up TKO wins in the UFC. With weight misses and cancellations due to injuries or illness, fans are now beginning to ask more questions about his future.

Khamzat Chimaev 'Triggered' by comparisons to Khabib Nurmagomedov

Since making his UFC debut in 2020, he has had seven bouts completed but has had thirteen fights scheduled in that time. He has been forced to withdraw from six fights in the promotion for various reasons. The most recent, in June, was an illness where he was hospitalized.

Ahead of his June matchup against he former champion Robert Whittaker, Khamzat Chimaev pulled out and the fight was booked for later in the year. Leading up to UFC 308 this weekend, ‘Borz’ explained what happened in an episode of UFC Countdown. He said:

“We were in training camp. The first month was very good. The last three weeks, my immunity goes down. I don’t know what happened. All the guys ate the same food, (but) only (I) got sick. I was in the hospital for a couple of days. I came out and started to train again and the same sh*t happened again. The doctor said to me, ‘You need to just be off from the gym and not just training, not doing nothing.’ I went home to the mountains.” [Ht MMA Junkie]

Khamzat Chimaev started his career in the UFC in the welterweight but has since moved up to middleweight. At UFC 308, ‘Borz‘ will face his biggest test as he meets the former division world champion ‘The Reaper’ Whittaker. This fight has title implications and goes down on October 26.

Dricus Du Plessis’ Coach Says Khamzat Chimaev Will Be ‘Out Of His League’ Against Robert Whittaker

Despite having fought seven times inside the Octagon, the potential of Khamzat Chimaev still has some question marks hanging over it. Listen to anyone that trains with the middleweight contender and they will tell you that he’s the champion in waiting. However, his recent performances and issues with staying active have significantly pumped the breaks […]

Continue Reading Dricus Du Plessis’ Coach Says Khamzat Chimaev Will Be ‘Out Of His League’ Against Robert Whittaker at MMA News.

However, his recent performances and issues with staying active have significantly pumped the breaks on what was once the biggest hype train in the entire sport.

We will find out this weekend at UFC 308 where Chimaev ranks amongst the rest of the middleweight division when he faces former champion Robert Whittaker. “The Reaper” has fought many of the top contenders and has only lost at 185-pounds to two champions in Israel Adesanya and Dricus Du Plessis.

Even in a win that looks great on paper over Kamaru Usman last time out, there was some doubters due to how close the fight was despite Usman stepping up a weight class as a short notice replacement for Paulo Costa. This won’t be the same for a victory against someone that is as highly regarded and proven as Whittaker.

In a recent interview with Submission Radio, Du Plessis’ coach Morne Visser weighed in with his thoughts on the fight. Having spent time preparing his fighter to face Whittaker in the past, he knows how good the former champion is.

He believes that Whittaker won’t just get the win on Saturday night, he will show that Chimaev isn’t ready to compete with the best guys in the weight class.

“That fight against Usman, who’s a genuine welterweight, was way too close for me. His stand-up is, in my opinion, suspect. His wrestling, he couldn’t do anything with Usman and Rob’s stand-up is phenomenal, his wrestling and his ground work’s awesome so I honestly think Khamzat’s out of his league here. He’s gotta go back to welter where he maybe stands a chance to become something or become a champion. At this stage, I honestly think Rob beats Khamzat and I don’t think it’s gonna be on points, he’s going to grind him. Rob’s a tough dude and he’s smart and he’s got a smart team behind him.”

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VIDEO: UFC 308 Countdown Episode Ahead Of Topuria vs. Holloway & Whittaker vs. Chimaev

Fight week for the UFC 308 pay-per-view this Saturday has kicked off with the release of the promotion’s latest Countdown episode. Under the spotlight in this edition is the headliner between Ilia Topuria and Max Holloway and the co-main event between Robert Whittaker and Khamzat Chimaev. Saturday’s lineup is topped by an intriguing championship clash, with featherweight […]

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Fight week for the UFC 308 pay-per-view this Saturday has kicked off with the release of the promotion’s latest Countdown episode.

Under the spotlight in this edition is the headliner between Ilia Topuria and Max Holloway and the co-main event between Robert Whittaker and Khamzat Chimaev.

Saturday’s lineup is topped by an intriguing championship clash, with featherweight kingpin Topuria (15-0) looking to add a first successful defense to his reign, which got underway with a memorable knockout victory over Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 298 this past February.

If “El Matador” is to continue his rule atop the 145-pound mountain, he must record a victory over Holloway (26-7). “Blessed” will ride a three-fight win streak into his latest opportunity to regain the title, most recently getting the better of Justin Gaethje in brutal fashion up at lightweight to capture the symbolic BMF belt at UFC 300.

Before those two collide in the main event at Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Arena, the stakes will be high for a crucial five-round middleweight clash.

After dismantling Ikram Aliskerov in quick time to emerge victorious from the UFC’s first event in Saudi Arabia, former champion Whittaker (26-7) will return to the Middle East to face his original opponent for this past June, the undefeated Chimaev (13-0). While “The Reaper” has gone 2-0 this year after outpointing Paulo Costa to open his 2024 campaign, “Borz” hasn’t made the walk since a narrow decision win over Kamaru Usman last October.

Ahead of those two contests in the United Arab Emirates, fans can catch previews in the full episode of UFC 308 Countdown on the promotion’s YouTube channel.

UFC 308 Countdown: Full Episode

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Robert Whittaker Says Khamzat Chimaev Isn’t His Toughest Opponent But Is The ‘Most Pressing’

When it comes to fighters that have been put through the ringer at the very highest level, it’s hard to find someone that is more experienced than Robert Whittaker. The former middleweight champion has been facing the very best at 185-pounds for the best part of seven years at this stage in his career. With […]

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With 22 Octagon appearances under his belt, there’s not much that you can throw at “The Reaper” which he won’t have encountered in the past. That being said, his next challenge is somewhat of an enigma.

The undefeated Khamzat Chimaev has gone from being talked about as a guaranteed future UFC champion to someone that might struggle against the top names in his division. His progress has been significantly halted by two major concerns, his reoccurring health issues and an inability to fight in the United States.

Despite the fact that he has beaten the likes of Gilbert Burns and Kamaru Usman, one of those wins came when he was fighting at welterweight and his contest with Usman was a close fight that saw the former 170-pound champion step in at middleweight on short notice.

We will truly find out how good Chimaev is when he faces Whittaker who has already proven his level against the majority of the top contenders to come through the division in the last seven years.

In an interview with TalkSPORT MMA ahead of their co-main event clash at UFC 308, Whittaker was asked whether Chimaev is his toughest fight to date after all of the top opposition that he has squared off with.

“No, like I’ve fought the best of the best. I think it’s the most pressing test because it’s unwritten and I think there’s a lot of gravity to this fight because it’s the unknown like as of right now but like, I’ve won a lot of hard fights and I’ve lost a lot of hard fights, I’ve been tested.”

Though Whittaker doesn’t believe that Chimaev is his most difficult opponent, he does think that this fight will require him to be at his best because he doesn’t fully know what to expect from his opponent.

“Right now, it’s obviously Chimaev right because it’s unknown, it’s ground that hasn’t been trodden yet. I respect the task at hand and I’m just looking forward to it.”

Continue Reading Robert Whittaker Says Khamzat Chimaev Isn’t His Toughest Opponent But Is The ‘Most Pressing’ at MMA News.

Jon Anik Breaks Down the UFC Middleweight Division and What’s Next For It’s Top 3 Contenders

Jon Anik thinks the UFC’s middleweight division has never been stronger. As it stands, there are a slew of…

Jon Anik thinks the UFC’s middleweight division has never been stronger.

As it stands, there are a slew of potential title challengers at 185, namely Sean Strickland, Israel Adesanya, Robert Whittaker, Khamzat Chimaev, and Nassourdine Imavov. The question of who’s next for reigning titleholder Dricus Du Plessis is by no means an easy one, but for the longtime play-by-play man, Strickland makes the most sense.

Not just because he sits as the division’s top-ranked contender, but because he’s earned the rematch by being a company man through and through.

“I don’t think it’s hyperbolic or overstating it to suggest that the middleweight division, right now, has never been stronger,” Anik told The Schmo. “Right? Sean Strickland’s a worthy number-one contender. Nassourdine Imavov, on and on it could go!”

He continued, “In a straight meritocracy, I’m on record as promoting Sean Strickland because he has repeatedly stepped up for the promotion. Let us not forget he put his number four ranking on the line against Alex Pereira when nobody wanted to fight ‘Poatan.’ He has stepped into main events against guys, he’s stepped into a five round fight against Paulo Costa. And he fought Dricus Du Plessis toe-to-toe. So in a straight meritocracy, if I’m the promoter, I lean Strickland.”

Jon Anik thinks ‘Borz’ could be next for izzy

Even though UFC CEO Dana White has already promised Strickland his rematch with Du Plessis, it’s not quite that simple. Later this month, we’ve got a big matchup between Robert Whittaker and Khamzat Chimaev that could very well produce the next middleweight title challenger.

Then there’s Israel Adesanya who, despite having lost back-to-back bouts, is always right there in the title picture and could step in at a moment’s notice.

Asked what’s next for ‘The Last Stylebender,’ Anik suggested that a clash with Chimaev could be his ticket back to the title, but that all depends on how things play out between ‘Borz’ and Whittaker in Abu Dhabi on October 26.

“I think if you’re Izzy, you just lay back in the cut and maybe it’s Khamzat. I mean that’s a fight that I think would have some appeal but Khamzat could be in a championship setting.”