Sean O’Malley Reveals the ‘Smartest F***ing Career Move’ for Khamzat Chimaev: ‘Go Up to 185’

Gilbert Burns‘ comments on the future plans of Khamzat Chimaev have garnered a lot of attention from the fans who were waiting for a matchup between the two. Now, the #1-ranked bantamweight fighter, Sean O’Malley, took to his YouTube channel to reveal his take on the matter. When Gilbert Burns was asked about a future match between him and Chimaev, Burns gave a negative response. He said that he heard of Chimaev‘s intentions to switch to middleweight for his future bouts.

The crowd, however, had different opinions; some believed he should permanently move to the middleweight division. Many others believed that it would be more challenging for the Swedish fighter. However, Chimaev has not yet made any announcements on the matter.

Sean O’Malley on Khamzat Chimaev’s future options

Sean O’Malley had a perfect opinion on the possibilities that would be open for the ‘Borz’. O’Malley said, “That’d be the smartest f**ing career move for that guy. Because of making ’70, he has to be on a strict diet all year round. He can’t f* around once or twice. I mean, he’s not gonna make the weight. Go up to 185. You can eat. You can be strong; do sh* like that.” ‘Borz’ has already tried his hands in both the welterweight and middleweight divisions. It won’t be his first fight, even if he makes a move to the middleweight. 

Additionally, Chimaev has already stated that he wants to win UFC belts in three different weight classes. Welterweight (170 pounds), middleweight (185 pounds), and light heavyweight (205 pounds) are among these weight divisions. ‘Sugar’ expressed his high belief in ‘Borz’ and noted that even if he moved up to middleweight, the Swedish fighter wouldn’t be undersized.

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

O’Malley further discussed the potential for Chimaev to compete against middleweight stars like Israel Adesanya, Alex Pereira, and Bo Nickal if he made the move.

Khamzat Chimaev to middleweight?

Nonetheless, in regard to Chimaev‘s switch to middleweight, no official statement has been made. ‘Borz’s previous matches didn’t go as planned due to an unexpected weight fluctuation. At UFC 279, he was ready to take on Nate Diaz. However, the Swedish UFC star weighed 178.5 pounds during the weigh-ins, so the match was canceled. He exceeded the weight limit for the welterweight non-title bout by seven and a half pounds.

The UFC was compelled to remove him from the title match because of the weight disparity. However, it was ultimately decided that Kevin Holland would compete against the Swedish fighter. With a catchweight of 180 pounds, the competition was scheduled as the co-main event. In the opening round of their bout, Chimaev defeated the other with a D’Arce choke. If Chimaev is genuinely intended to shift, the public will have to wait and see what his future holds for him in the middleweight class.

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