Conor McGregor has already solidified his status as the biggest star the UFC has seen to date. The Irishman has reaped enormous success both inside and outside the octagon. A former two-weight world champion in both the UFC and Cage Warriors, McGregor is also a multi-millionaire with several successful businesses. ‘The Notorious’ has also headlined multiple PPVs with more than a million buys. Therefore, the 5 feet 9 inches power puncher is the yardstick for success and stardom for most athletes in the UFC.

Very few athletes have shown enough promise to earn Conor McGregor comparisons. One of the very few that have managed the feat is the welterweight powerhouse Khamzat Chimaev. The Chechen star has been a force to reckon with in the welterweight and middleweight divisions of the UFC.

Already one of the biggest names on the current roster, Chimaev has been on the hunt for a fight, calling out champion and former champions alike. While he seems to have set his sights set on a fight against former UFC champion Kamaru Usman, the Swedish fighter has also been calling for a title shot against Israel Adesanya.

UFC veteran Josh Thomson and veteran MMA referee John McCarthy recently took up the case of Chimaev. ‘The Punk’ admitted he was a fan of Chimaev but did not approve of the title shots or Conor McGregor comparisons.

Josh Thomson compares Conor McGregor and Khamzat Chimaev

During a recent episode of their show ‘Weighing In,’ Josh Thomson and John McCarthy compared Conor McGregor and Khamzat Chimaev. Thomson had an issue with Chimaev gaining a title shot without having registered enough valid wins. While Chimaev keeps calling everyone out, Thomson did not think that warranted a title shot.

He said, “I enjoy watching Chimaev fight and I think there’s a bright future for him. But just because you do all the talking doesn’t mean you deserve a title shot. That’s the thing. You can’t set a precedent that if you’re a talking mouthpiece, you can talk your way into a title shot.”

McCarthy interjected at this point, citing the example of Conor McGregor and his meteoric rise. Thomson explained it was different for McGregor. He said, “He [Conor McGregor] worked his way up. He had the Chad [Mendes] fight. He earned the [Jose] Aldo fight, he earned it. I mean don’t get me wrong, he talked his way up.”

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The pair then recollected McGreogr’s historic featherweight run on the way to the Jose Aldo fight. Thomson then said, “To compare what Conor did against Dustin [Poirier], Max [Holloway], and other fighters, it’s not fair. Chimaev hasn’t beaten anybody at that level. None of them.”

Khamzat Chimaev has been out of action since September of last year. In the meantime, Dana White has stated ‘Borz’ will return to middleweight after failing to make the welterweight limit at UFC 279.

With Chimaev calling for a fight against Usman, when do you think we will see ‘The Wolf’ again? And what are your thoughts on Josh Thomson’s statements?

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Let us know in the comments below.