Khamzat Chimaev’s hype train is back on track and chugging along quicker than ever. After the utter demolition that ‘Borz’ called upon Robert Whittaker in their Abu Dhabi clash, it is quite clear that the Chechnya native is as good and as brilliant as and thought he was. The next station for the Chimaev hype train seems to be a title shot.

And many, including many of his illustrious UFC peers, like Bobby Knuckles himself, suspect that ‘Borz’ would be champion by the end of 2025. “What about middleweight? Who do you think is the champ by the end [of 2025]?”, the Aussie was asked on MMArcade podcast by co-host Jonny Roses.

“I’d have to say Chimaev. I’m gonna say Chimaev. His grappling is so good, like so good,” Whittaker said. Of course, having fought ‘Borz’ recently, and been the victim of his grappling, no one knows the Chimaev’s game more intimately than the Kiwi former champion.

Indeed, even from the eye test one can see just how good Chimaev’s ground game is. After all, he absolutely dominated former champ and collegiate wrestler Kamaru Usman on the ground at UFC 294. Not to mention his performances against opponents of lesser caliber have been stellar.

But at the moment, Chimaev can only wait for Sean Strickland and champion Dricus Du Plessis to run back their epic UFC 297 battle for the middleweight gold. The duo are set to fight at UFC 312 in February, and the winner will almost definitely have to face Chimaev next. This raises a very important question in many fans’ minds.

How does Khamzat Chimaev match up against Strickland and Du Plessis?

The short answer is that Sean Strickland would be a relatively easy opponent for Khamzat Chimaev. But Dricus Du Plessis? Not so much. After all, ‘Tarzan’ is almost a pure striker and has a Philly point-fighting, defense-heavy fighting style. Not to mention he isn’t exactly the biggest puncher.

This, of course, makes Strickland vulnerable to being taken down and mauled by Borz’ on the ground with ease. On the other hand, ‘DDP’ can more than handle himself on the ground. The South African’s tank-like build and the ability to mesh schoolyard bully spazzy arm swinging with sublime technique can prove to be fatal for ‘Borz’.

Chimaev may be the better wrestler hands down, but Du Plessis is incredibly strong and durable. In addition, ‘Stillknocks’ is a powerful striker and could well finish the fight on the feet. In fact, the intriguing nature of their matchup is exactly why many fans wanted the UFC to make Du Plessis vs. Chimaev next instead of a title shot for ‘Tarzan’. What do you think about Robert Whittaker’s prediction for Khamzat Chimaev?

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