Kamaru Usman before UFC 294 said that Khamzat Chimaev has everything, but so does he. Meanwhile, Usman called himself equally threatful as Chimaev. Healthy competition or eager for media attention? Continue reading to find out!
Usman will replace Chimaev in the middleweight matchup in Saturday’s UFC 294 co-main event at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi with less than two weeks’ notice. Prelims on ESPN+ are followed by the main card on pay-per-view at a special time of 2 p.m. ET.
Usman, a former UFC welterweight champion, plans to equal Chimaev wherever the fight goes even though the latter has never lost in professional mixed martial arts.
Usman said that he thought Chimaev was highly skilled. He mentioned that Chimaev possessed strength, size, speed, wrestling ability, grappling skills, and striking proficiency. Usman also noted that he possessed similar attributes. He emphasized that, ultimately, all individuals are human and tend to feel invincible until someone challenges that sense of invincibility.
Usman defeated Sean Strickland, the current middleweight champion of the UFC, in 2017. Usman believes it’s a no-brainer after UFC CEO Dana White announced the victor of Usman vs. Chimaev is next in line for a title chance.
Usman believes that their history would make their fight even more compelling, even though his victory over Strickland occurred over six years ago at welterweight.
Usman stated that it was a built-in situation and mentioned that Sean Strickland was the champion. He added that he had already taken care of him and acknowledged that Strickland was indeed better. Usman further expressed that he had a challenging task ahead, referring to it as a mountain he needed to scale and climb. He emphasized the need to focus on overcoming this obstacle first before concerning himself with what would come next.
Do you feel Kamaru Usman’s statement was immature or was it reasonable? Do let us know about your thoughts on this in the comment section!
