A former UFC champion believes analyst Din Thomas is way off base with his Khamzat Chimaev stance.
Khamzat Chimaev‘s long-awaited shot at UFC gold comes against middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis at UFC 319 later this month. Chimaev earned the title shot after middleweight wins over Robert Whittaker and former UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman.
Despite Chimaev being one win away from winning a UFC title, one top analyst believes a win at UFC 319 would spell doom for the promotion. Din Thomas referenced Chimaev’s lack of fight activity in recent years as a potential ‘disaster’ if the undefeated contender wins the belt.
Chimaev has fought just three times since April 2022, due to health and travel-related issues. But with his health issues behind him, Chimaev is ready to reach the pinnacle of UFC superstardom.
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Belal Muhammad: Din Thomas ‘way off’ on Khamzat Chimaev stance
Thomas’s comments drew mixed reviews from fans and pundits, with some siding with Thomas’s stance due to Chimaev’s inconsistent schedule. But one former titleholder believes Thomas is way off base in his position, and believes a Chimaev title win would be a massive success story for the UFC.
In a recent video uploaded to his YouTube channel, former UFC welterweight champion Belal Muhammad responded to Thomas.
“I don’t know what the fudge Din Thomas is talking about, he’s way off on this one,” Muhammad began.
“I think it’ll be one of the biggest things for the UFC if Chimaev wins the belt. I think he’ll probably be one of the biggest stars and superstars the UFC has…he already has that invincible aura about him.
“The aura is only going to get bigger especially if he goes out there and dominates Dricus, who is on a hot streak.”
Muhammad then predicted that Chimaev could win in a surprising fashion at UFC 319.
“I think he can go out there and finish him dominantly, or even like Khabib said, just strike with him,” Muhammad explained.
“I think he can outstrike him. I think he’ll make it look easy if he keeps it on the feet. Yeah, Dricus has a chin, he has cardio, he has an awkward style, he has toughness, but I think Chimaev is a lot cleaner.”
Chimaev’s last knockout win came against middleweight Gerald Meerschaert in Sept. 2020. Since then, three of Chimaev’s last five wins have come by submission, with two fights going to decisions.
Chimaev’s botched weight cut at UFC 279 left many fans sour on the Chechen. But since making the full-time move to middleweight, Chimaev hasn’t missed weight, and one former heavyweight believes he can fight in the heavyweight division one day.
UFC fans questioned Dricus du Plessis’s pick for hardest opponent ahead of UFC 319
Du Plessis vs. Chimaev is one of the biggest fights in recent UFC history, although the reigning UFC middleweight champion puts one fighter ahead of Chimaev in terms of difficulty.
In the lead-up to UFC 319, Du Plessis claimed Israel Adesanya was his toughest opponent, despite submitting him at UFC 305. Du Plessis admitted he was ‘nervous’ ahead of the fight, and struggled to deal with Adesanya’s diverse striking arsenal in the early rounds.
UFC fans immediately were skeptical of Du Plessis’s comments after finishing Adesanya in their UFC 305 fight. Some believe Sean Strickland posed the toughest test of Du Plessis’s career after their closely-contested fight at UFC 297.
Du Plessis, like Chimaev, is unbeaten in the UFC Octagon. He’ll look to continue to make his middleweight GOAT case at UFC 319 later this month.