Khamzat Chimaev of Chechnya celebrates after his knockout victory over Gerald Meerschaert in their middleweight bout during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on September 19, 2020 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
Israel Adesanya vs Khamzat Chimaev could have the makings of an incredible battle
Khamzat ‘Borz’ Chimaev already has his next UFC fight ready against Leon Edwards but he is still stalking Israel Adesanya.
The pair have exchanged words in the past with Adesanya not being too impressed by the Swede. Chimaev is the rising star in the UFC and is 9-0 in his MMA career. The 26-year-old has won all his UFC fights in the span of 66 days and across two divisions.
Chimaev also has finished all of his opponents and is eager for a title shot. However, he was having a hard time finding a rival with many not wanting to take him on. That all changed once Leon Edwards was removed from the UFC rankings for not being active. The top 5 Welterweight star then changed his mind and accepted Chimaev’s call out.
The pair are to meet at Fight Night 186 but Chimaev is already planning for an Adesanya clash it seems. He has spoken about wanting to fight the UFC Middleweight champion and sent out another feeler by sharing one photo of the pair:
Adesanya is also undefeated in his MMA career and is currently at 20-0. He is considered as one of the greatest combat athletes of all-time thanks to his impressive kickboxing record and has another title fight next.
No one has been able to take the Middleweight title away from Izzy and he is to face Jan Blachowicz for the Lightweight title next.
That could make him a two-division UFC champion and will add more to his already incredible legacy. Chimaev does need a few wins against ranked opponents to reach a level where he can fight Adesanya. The pair certainly have been in great form over the past year or so, and this battle could turn out to be one for the ages.
Adesanya doesn’t need to respond to Chimaev’s call-outs now. However, a couple of wins for the Swede could see him get a title shot with Izzy in his sights.
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