Home

UFC

“He’s Doing His Job”: Khamzat Chimaev Says Israel Adesanya Doesn’t Need to Do “Crazy Things Just to Win”

Published 07/26/2022, 5:45 AM EDT

Follow Us

via Imago

Khamzat Chimaev defeated Gilbert Burns at UFC 273 via a unanimous decision and cemented his name as a deserving welterweight contender. Hence, people are excited to see if he has what it takes to become a champion soon.

The Russian-born MMA fighter appeared on Ariel Helwani’s ‘The MMA Hour’ and spoke about what’s ahead for him. Ahead in the conversation, he also spoke about middleweight champion Israel Adesanya.

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

 

While Chimaev fights in the 170 pounds division, he has also been at the middleweight. As a result, many fans were of the opinion that someday he could defeat Adesanya. However, Chimaev intends to stay at welterweight and might switch over to middleweight only later.

Speaking about Adesanya, he said, “He’s doing his job, you know. He makes his money. Now he’s the champ. He don’t need to do the like, crazy things just to win.”

via Getty

When asked about Adesanya being criticized for his performance against Jared Cannonier at UFC 276, the fighter provided his thoughts. He said, “I don’t know what’s happening with him last time. He fights better before. Now maybe, he’s not that hungry, you know. He’s driving like crazy cars…”

“Some people, they change, you know. When you’re hungry, you fight crazy. And, like he did before. Now I don’t know, he just make the points and win the fights.

The Early Career of Khamzat Chimaev Before UFC and MMA

During the interview, ‘Borz’ was in Sweden and will soon visit Spain for his training camp. He will face Nate Diaz at UFC 279, which takes place on September 29 in Las Vegas.

Khamzat Chimaev: More about his upcoming fight with Nate Diaz

The Swedish fighter confirmed his bout with veteran fighter, Nate Diaz. While it is an exciting bout for MMA fans, many are frightened of Diaz.

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

via Imago

‘The Stockton Slugger’ is coming off two recent losses, whereas Chimaev is at his very best. He has remained undefeated in professional MMA. Hence, many fans have been surprised by this matchup.

Trending

Get instantly notified of the hottest UFC stories via Google! Click on Follow Us and Tap the Blue Star.

Follow Us

Watch this story: Amanda Nunes and Brandon Moreno; who else is fighting at UFC 277

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

Nevertheless, with two such big names facing off, the fight will be an exciting one.

What do you think about Chimaev versus Diaz? Let us know in the comments below.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE :

Written by:

Rohini Kottu

828Articles

One take at a time

Rohini Kottu is a UFC Writer at EssentiallySports. She is also a Psychologist and has a Master's degree in Clinical Psychology. Rohini, in her role as a UFC writer, combines her admiration for the mental resilience that MMA fighters have and her love for analysis.
Show More>

Edited by:

Sreeda U M