Presently Gilbert Burns is the No.1 contender for the UFC Welterweight Championship. ‘Durinho’ was to compete on Fight Island after jumping 5 spots in the rankings after trouncing Tyron Woodley. However, he pulled out after contracting the coronavirus and retains his hard-earned shot. However, UFC President Dana White broached a surprising name to fight Kamaru Usman.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
In a chat with ESPN’s Brett Okamoto, the UFC President addressed newcomer Khamzat Chimaev’s dominance. Furthermore, he revealed that he was looking to book ‘Borz’ for an August fight card.
“The kid’s legit and he’s real and he knows it and I love it. 192-2 in 2 fights. Yea, I mean he said he wanted to fight and I said done, I’ll make it happen.”
Dana White says Khamzat Chimaev wants to fight August
‘Borz’ wants to capitalize on his momentum and requested a fight in August. White said, “He wants to fight now in August and I’m gonna get him what he wants.”
However, the identity of Chimaev’s opponent is a mystery. Welterweight champion Kamaru Usman featured in the conversation as ‘Borz’ said he “want champion.”
The UFC President said, “That’s what we’re trying to figure out. We’re sitting in here this morning trying to figure out what we think is next. You know, this kid, he’s ready to fight Usman. Is he ready for Usman? Who knows? Maybe.”
Ranked contenders like Leon Edwards are unable to jump the queue to fight for the title. Meanwhile, despite Chimaev’s momentum, the fact remains that he has had only 2 UFC fights. Out of these only one has come at Welterweight.
Furthermore, he is yet to ply his trade against a ranked contender, but should he progress in this stead, a ranked opponent may not be too far away.
Khamzat Chimaev has hit the ground running. Ideally, he should register multiple wins and form a huge streak to burst into the rankings. This will give him a platform to challenge the top fighters and eventually the king of the division.
For now, though, it will be Burns to fight Usman. However, Dana White is not dismissing Chimaev vs Usman which in the minds of the MMA World is a fantasy fight at present.
What do you make of Dana White’s views on Khamzat Chimaev?
Source: Brett Okamoto-Twitter
