Khamzat Chimaev celebrates a win (Credits: Bloody Elbow)
Khamzat Chimaev sets sights on Alex Pereira and promises a quick finish
UFC middleweight champion Alex Pereira is set for his first title defense against Israel Adesanya at UFC 287. Even though Khamzat Chimaev has his eyes fixed on his opponent, he himself remains a target.
Against all odds, ‘Poatan‘ recently won the 185-pound championship after knocking out Israel Adesanya. The Brazilian’s destructive power from his years of kickboxing experience translated smoothly to mixed martial arts, despite the fact that he has been criticized for his lack of grappling in the past.
Khamzat Chimaev has continued his verbal assault on the middleweight king in a social media post, claiming that he will make quick work of ‘Poatan’ if they ever fight. ‘Borz’ wrote on Twitter:
“Don’t be afraid boy, I promise I’ll make it real fast, see you soon.”
Chimaev thinks he’s due a title opportunity in the UFC and has demanded bouts against both the middleweight champion Alex Pereira and the welterweight champion Leon Edwards.
With four victories over the course of three months, “Borz” has established himself as a serious threat to anyone weighing between 185 and 170 pounds. After taking heavy punishment during their three-round clash, Chimaev and Gilbert Burns proven that he doesn’t have to be the hammer in order to win. The 28-year-old has his sights set on a title bout after improving to 6-0 in the UFC with his victory over Kevin Holland.
Alex Pereira is in no mood to discuss Khamzat Chimaev’s credentials as a middleweight contender.
With his first title defence against Israel Adesanya set for the main event of this Saturday’s UFC 287 in Miami, Pereira has written off Chimaev as an irrelevant contender in the middleweight division.
“Talking about [Paulo Costa] ‘Borrachinha’ and [Robert] Whittaker, I respect them. I don’t see them talking trash at me, wanting to promote themselves. Chimaev ran from everybody. “I’m not lost as he is. Chimaev, I’ll not even talk about him.”
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