3 reasons why Khamzat Chimaev can beat Kamaru Usman - and 2 reasons why he can't

Could Khamzat Chimaev really dethrone UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman?

After his big win over Li Jingliang at UFC 267 this past weekend, Khamzat Chimaev already has fans talking about a fight between him and current UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman in 2022.

"I'm the biggest fighter in the world now."

Khamzat Chimaev (@KChimaev) believes he's made yet another statement after submitting Li Jingliang at #UFC267 🔊⬆️

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If the UFC were to book a fight between Kamaru Usman and Khamzat Chimaev, would ‘Borz’ actually stand a chance against the reigning welterweight champion?

Despite Usman’s tremendous record in the UFC, it’s a fight that could easily go either way for a number of different reasons.

With that in mind, here are three reasons why Khamzat Chimaev can beat Kamaru Usman – and two reasons why he can’t.

#3: Khamzat Chimaev might be able to overpower Kamaru Usman

Khamzat Chimaev overpowered Li Jingliang, but could he do the same to Kamaru Usman?

The biggest hallmark of Kamaru Usman’s incredible run through the UFC’s welterweight division has been his ability to overpower basically every opponent he’s faced.

From hulking foes like Emil Meek and Tyron Woodley, to trickier, more technical opponents like Jorge Masvidal and Rafael dos Anjos, nobody has really been able to stop ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ from radgolling them inside the octagon.

In turn, despite the wrestling ability of the likes of Woodley and Colby Covington, nobody has been able to take Usman down, despite him essentially competing in a total of 48 rounds. Simply put, it’s an insane record by anyone’s standards.

However, Khamzat Chimaev appears to have the same kind of freakish strength that Usman possesses. Outside of Gerald Meerschaert – who was starched with a punch in the opening seconds – ‘Borz’ has thrown around all of his opponents in the UFC like they were nothing.

Most notably, Khamzat Chimaev picked up his latest opponent, Li Jingliang, and walked him towards UFC president Dana White before dumping him on the mat.

Khamzat Chimaev picked up Li Jingliang, carried him over to Dana White, had a quick chat, then decided to choke him out... 😳

You are looking at a seriously scary fighter here who is going to the top. This is COLD! 🥶 sportbible.com/mma/khamzat-ch…

This was a terrifying show of power, particularly when you consider that Jingliang has a strong reputation of his own as a grappler, complete with his nickname of ‘The Leech’.

So could Khamzat Chimaev really overpower Kamaru Usman? Stranger things have happened. And if ‘Borz’ is able to put Usman on his back, then quite how ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ would respond would be a major question mark – particularly when you consider the strength of Chimaev’s top game.

Essentially, it seems like if any fighter could achieve this herculean task, it’d be Khamzat Chimaev. If he manages to find a way to overpower and ground Usman, he could win a fight against him.