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Khamzat Chimaev has yet to schedule his next fight, but as he recently stated, he’s ‘90 percent’ sure it would be against former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman. “Borz” is looking at UFC 294 in October, the company’s annual event in Abu Dhabi.
Now, Usman is responding to the undefeated star and putting his foot down about the weight class conversation.
Usman says he asked the UFC for Khamzat Chimaev fight
The Kamaru Usman vs. Khamzat Chimaev talks began around May, when the latter’s fight against Paulo Costa fell through. The Swedish-based Chechnyan fighter wanted to be the one to send “The Nigerian Nightmare” to retirement. At the time, Usman was also considering the said matchup.
“Usman wants to fight, I make [it] his last fight. He wants money, he knows where is the money, you know? Everyone knows the money. Now I’m going to fight this guy, in Abu Dhabi; smash his face, finish him.”
During a media scrum at UFC 290 on Saturday in Las Vegas, Usman got to share his side of the story. According to him, he personally reached out to the UFC to ask for Khamzat Chimaev.
“I went in to Dana’s office and I said, ‘Hey, this is the guy you guys are saying is the next guy in the division.’ OK, give me that guy. I said that to Dana,” Usman told reporters.
“ At the end of the day, I have been and still am the boogeyman of this division. I asked for (Khamzat). If you want to fight, you want to be a champion, cut the f—ng weight. And come and fight.
“He’s saying he’s the boogeyman of the division, and I think he’s a really, really good fighter. Very, very good fighter. I like the guy. But hey, you wanna fight? Cut the weight and let’s fight. Be disciplined.”
Usman believes Khamzat Chimaev no longer wants the grind
Usman’s calls for a proper weight cut likely stems from the UFC 287 fiasco. Khamzat Chimaev missed the mark by 7.5 pounds, causing a major shake-up in the event.
But because of newfound superstardom, Usman believes Chimaev may not want to go through the grind anymore.
“He don’t want to do that anymore. He’s got money now, he’s loving the life, and he’s living good. He don’t want to cut the weight. He wants to eat, and he wants to move the goal posts for him.
“No. You want to be champion, this is the gold standard right here. Cut the weight, and let’s make it happen.
“I’ve been a champion, I’ve made the weight even before I was a champion. And I continue to make the weight.”
Usman addresses the weight situation
Since his entry into the UFC in 2020, Khamzat Chimaev found success in both welterweight and middleweight. When Dana White was asked about the said pairing, he gave one condition.
“If (Usman) wants to move up to 185 and fight him, we can talk about it. But trying to fight him at a catchweight, I’m not interested in it.”
But from his end, Usman expects the fight to happen at his home weight class.
“Why would they approach me for 185? He’s ranked what? Number three, right? In what division? Welterweight. You wanna fight? Let’s fight!”
As for Chimaev, Usman had this message.
“Khamzat is… at the end of the day, this guy keeps flirting with me online. He’s flirting back-and-forth with me online. At this point, he’s using me for clout.
“If you want to fight, cut the weight and let’s fight. If not? Stop using me for clout. Stop flirting with me online.”
Usman (20-3) is on a two-fight skid. He hasn’t fought since UFC 286, when he failed to reclaim the welterweight title in his rematch with current champion Leon Edwards.
As for Khamzat Chimaev (12-0), he last saw action at UFC 279, where he finished Kevin Holland via first-round submission.
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