Chimaev said that he believes his skills are in a whole different league than the UFC champion Sean Strickland. Is this the beginning of beef among the two very competent fighters?
Continue reading to find out!
Chimaev will face former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman in the co-main event of UFC 294 on Saturday at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi in what is being billed as a No. 1 contender matchup. Prelims on ESPN+ are followed by the main card on pay-per-view at a special time of 2 p.m. ET.
Chimaev has previously trained with Strickland, but he saw nothing that concerned him. Although he admires Strickland’s tenacity, he considers himself to be far superior in every way.
Chimaev told reporters, with the assistance of an interpreter, that he’s taken him down, held him down, choked him, and punched him. He’s done all those things, so he doesn’t see anything special about him. He’s a “fighter’s fighter”. If you look at him, he’s like an American cowboy, like from the movies. That’s the kind of guy he is.
But they’ve done their work in gym together, and if they offer him to Chimaev if he can fight him for the belt, that’s what he’ll do. He makes the money, he gets the belt, and he has nothing against him. He thinks that if you compare them skill level-wise, he’s levels above Strickland. Chimaev is in a whole different stratosphere from him. So, he’s not a threat to him, but he’s a good guy and a good fighter who is ready to fight anyone.
In his convincing victory over Israel Adesanya at UFC 293, Chimaev credited Strickland with giving him a unique challenge. Chimaev believes that Strickland has since supplied the recipe for defeating “The Stylebender.”
Chimaev expressed his thoughts by saying that he was thinking that if Izzy doesn’t knock him out, he’s going to win. But, he couldn’t knock him out in the first round. He thought that the other guy was pressuring him continuously, and Izzy was going to get tired because all these guys that Izzy had fought, they play an easy game. Izzy is good when he’s using his technique.
What do you feel about one of the greatest fighters Khamzat Chimaev making such comments? Do let us know about your thoughts in the comment section!
