Khamzat Chimaev will return to the UFC octagon after a 13-month hiatus. He will take on the #11 fighter on the welterweight roster, Li Jingliang, inside the cage at UFC 267. This intriguing welterweight bout will feature on the main card of the event at Fight Island in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
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Days before the fight, in an interview with UFC ARABIA, he spoke about the UFC 268 main event between Colby Covington and Kamaru Usman and broke down the fight.
Chimaev said, “I don’t know, maybe it will be to decision, maybe somebody gonna get knockout. Both guys tough guys but nothing special. Like the same thing, both the wrestlers and a little bit striking, obviously.”
When asked about facing the #1 pound-for-pound fighter Usman for the welterweight gold, ‘Borz’ responded, “I hope so but this guy (Kamaru Usman), how old is he, 35 something like that. And he doesn’t have so much time now. I am coming for him before he goes.”
Hence, it seems that the 27-year-old doesn’t seem impressed by both Usman and Covington.
Kamaru Usman vs Colby Covington 2: The Battle of the Welterweights
‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ crossed paths with Colby Covington at UFC 245 for his first title defense. The Nigerian-born fighter defended his 170lbs gold by knocking out ‘Chaos’ in the fifth round of the bout.
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LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – DECEMBER 14: (R-L) Kamaru Usman of Nigeria butts heads with Colby Covington in their UFC welterweight championship bout during the UFC 245 event at T-Mobile Arena on December 14, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
Usman continued his dominance in the division and successfully defended his welterweight gold three more times after his first defense. He beat Gilbert Burns and Jorge Masvidalx2. On the other hand, ‘Chaos’ only won one fight after his loss against Usman. However, he is currently #1 in the welterweight division.
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Now, both the combatants will clash again for the welterweight gold at UFC 268 at Madison Square Garden in New York. Considering the result of their previous five-round battle, the rematch is already garnering a lot of attention from the fight fans.
What are your thoughts on Chimaev’s words? Will he be able to beat Li Jingliang and move closer to a title fight in 2022? Let us know in the comments below.
