Khamzat Chimaev has been hankering for a real challenge for a while now. And he asserts that several UFC fighters have steered away from facing him in the octagon. Even though he has a powerful urge to fight right now, he has had his sights set on a specific opponent for some time. Alex Pereira. Ever since he snatched the belt from Israel Adesanya, it sparked Chimaev‘s attention, who has since viewed the reigning middleweight champion as the ideal opponent. But for that to happen, he’ll have to work his way up. That’s what the former welterweight contender, Jared Cannonier, has to say. ‘The Killa Gorilla’ has laid an idea roadmap for the undefeated fighter if he seeks a title shot against the ‘Poatan’ in the middleweight division.

The fans have responded to this by expressing their opinions on this course of action and calling for Chimaev to face the fighter who allegedly stole “everything” from him.

Chimaev will have to beat these 3 first to get to Alex Pereira

In a recent interview, the 3rd ranked middleweight stalwart, Jared Cannonier, spoke with Helen Yee on Chimaev‘s desire to take on Alex Pereira for a title shot. When asked about what he’d advise the ‘Borz’ in this pursuit, he said, “I feel you should definitely fight your way to the top.”

Read more: Visibly Frustrated Khamzat Chimaev Confirms Timeline for Next UFC Fight in 2023; Reveals Opponent’s Name Whom He Is Looking Forward To

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He also added another hurdle for Khamzat Chimaev to get through before he gets to the middleweight champion.

Cannonier stated, “If he wants to get up there, he needs to go through at least somebody in the top 10… Being one of the ones at the top, he would have to face me or Robert, or Israel. If you’re gonna give him somebody, give him somebody in the top 3.”

And this strategy caught the attention of a number of UFC faithful who then voiced their opinions on it. Scroll down to see what the fans have to say:

One fan is confident that Chimaev will have no trouble defeating the best middleweight competitors:

Wherein another supporter called for a slower climb for the ‘Borz’ before he even faces Israel Adesanya, Robert Whittaker, or Jared Cannonier:

And yet another fan exuded certainty that Chimaev could take all 3 of them:

One supporter here believes Whittaker out of all sounds fair, but won’t assure his victory:

This fan just wants to see Khamzat Chimaev’s ‘smesh’. As simple as that.

According to a fan, Chimaev‘s only legitimate challengers are Robert Whittaker and Paulo Costa:

Another fan here brought ‘The Eraser’ into the conversation and wants only him against the ‘Borz’:

Not just the fans, even Paulo Costa himself has demanded Khamzat Chimaev for a bout, after allegedly giving him sleepless nights.

Paulo Costa is giving Khamzat Chimaev nightmares

Paulo Costa is after Khamzat Chimaev the same way as the latter is after Alex Pereira. In an interview with Ariel Helwani, he was asked who comes on top of his head if he had to name one fighter as his next opponent. And he called for the ‘Borz’.

Furthermore, Costa went on to give the argument for his answer and claimed how he’s stolen every good thing from Chimaev, who’s on a ‘hype’ right now. “I stole his night’s sleep, I stole his cap, I stole his main event fight, you know? I stole everything. Chimaev, you need to do something moth******er, I stole everything that you had.”, claimed the 31-year-old.

Costa didn’t hold back even a bit there.

Who would you want to see Khamzat Chimaev fight next? Let us know in the comments below.

Watch this story: “He Been Working With Glover & GSP” – UFC Fans React as Alex Pereira Fails to Beat Joe Rogan’s Hardest Kick Record