Who Will Khamzat Chimaev Fight Next?
What weight class will he fight at?
Talk has been thrown around about what weight division Khamzat Chimaev will compete within in his next fight. Chimaev, having fought at Welterweight and Middleweight, has hinted at a debut at Light-Heavyweight, as well as a top 5 fight at Middleweight.
With the weight ‘struggle’ he faced at UFC 277, where he missed the Welterweight limit by 7lbs, it’s more than likely that Chimaev will be moving up in the future. The upper weight classes also have more favourable matchups as grapplers are less prominent.
He has a great chance wherever the weight takes him, but the size and strength disparity he may face at Light-Heavyweight increases the odds of a Middleweight title run. This is especially likely considering the lack of grappling pedigree in the current Middleweight champ, Alex Pereira.
See: How Does Alex Pereira vs Khamzat Chimaev ACTUALLY Play Out
This means a fight with either Alex Pereira, Israel Adesanya, Robert Whittaker, or Jared Cannonier is on the cards.
Jared Cannonier doesn’t believe Chimaev should jump straight into a championship bout
Top contender and former title challenger at Middleweight, Jared Cannonier, gave his thoughts on Chimaev’s planned title challenge at Middleweight.
“Personally, if he wants to get up there he needs to go through at least somebody in the top 10,”
“Being one of the ones at the top, he would have to face me or [Robert Whittaker] or [Israel Adesanya]. If you’re gonna give him somebody, give him somebody in the top 3 like they did at Welterweight.
“I don’t care what they do with [Khamzat],” he explained. “I’m not really focused on him, I’m focused on myself. So, I’m sitting right where I am and whoever comes at me, I’m gonna give it to them all the same way. That’d be a fun fight for sure, hell yeah.”
How Would Cannonier vs Chimaev Play Out?
With Cannonier opting to be more of a power/pressure striker, it’s more than likely Chimaev would shoot for the takedown and finish the fight on the floor.
What's your take on Chimaev moving weight classes? Drop a comment below.
Mathew is a UK based combat sports writer. His work can be found in MMAKnockout and Heavy on UFC. Contact Mat via [email protected]