UFC 294 will see Khamzat Chimaev stepping into the cage again after a long hiatus. The undefeated ‘Borz’ is set to face Kamaru Usman for a fight that will impact their road to championship glory. Originally set to face Paulo Costa, Chimaev almost lost the opportunity to step into the Octagon as Costa had to step away from the match. UFC CEO Dana White confirmed that Costa had undergone surgery just weeks out from the fight and will be out of the event.

Fans were disappointed with the news as the matchup was highly anticipated. But Kamaru Usman, former UFC welterweight champion, stepped in to save the day. The short-notice replacement may have caused concern for a lot of fighters. But Chimaev isn’t concerned, as he has clearly stated that he aims for a specific outcome on fight night!

Khamzat Chimaev has just one goal in mind for Kamaru Usman before their fight

Fans will remember the UFC 294 event for not one, but two last-minute replacements! The main event fight changed after news of Charles Oliveira getting injured in his training camp. Oliveira suffered a cut above his eye and was out of his fight against Islam Makhachev. He was replaced by UFC featherweight champion, Alexander Volkanovski.

While Khamzat Chimaev lost his original opponent in Paulo Costa, due to revelations about a serious infection. The two fighters had gone back and forth on social media during the build-up to the fight. And Costa had even claimed that Chimaev had targeted his partner and manager on social media. However, with Costa’s removal from the card, Kamaru Usman has chosen to set his sights on another weight class.

During an interview with Chael Sonnen for ESPN MMA, Chimaev was questioned whether he thinks he has an advantage coming into the fight. Sonnen mentioned his conditioning and his pace as weapons he has used against his opponents previously.

When asked if he feels he has the same advantage over Usman, ‘Borz’ responded in his trademark manner. He stated, “It’s like, I don’t know what to say, just come here to smash the guy man, so respect for the guy, takes the fight short notice, and they already has excuses, not Usman, a lot of people say but Usman takes the fight like warrior, man. People say he doesn’t have full camp, but for me it doesn’t matter, I come to finish everyone.”

Usman who is coming off two losses against current welterweight champion, Leon Edwards, is looking to reclaim his form inside the cage. He has set his sights on another weight class and he has a prior history with the current middleweight champion, Sean Strickland!

Kamaru Usman is aiming to regain his momentum

In a sudden turn of events, Usman will step into a middleweight fight against Chimaev at UFC 294, happening in Abu Dhabi. Chimaev remains undefeated in his MMA career, but former UFC welterweight champion Usman is determined to give him a tough fight.

Usman already has a win over the current UFC middleweight champion, Sean Strickland, dating back to 2017. UFC CEO Dana White has declared that the winner of the Usman vs. Chimaev bout will earn a title shot, a decision Usman fully supports.

Usman made his feelings clear about the implications of this fight by stating, “Sean Strickland’s the champion. I’ve already taken care of him. Not to say he’s not better – he is. But I’ve got a mountain in front of me that I need to scale and climb, so we’ll get through that first….”

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Although Usman’s victory over Strickland occurred more than six years ago in the welterweight division, he believes their history adds an interesting element to the upcoming showdown. He acknowledges that Strickland has improved, but for now, his focus is on the challenging task ahead.

Do you think Usman can end Chimaev’s undefeated streak? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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