"It almost guarantees that he has to fight" - Daniel Cormier names ideal opponent for Khamzat Chimaev instead of Colby Covington
![L-R: Daniel Cormier, Khamzat Chimaev, and Colby Covington [Photo credit: YouTube.com & @ufc on Instagram]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2022/06/21249-16558792242438-1920.jpg?w=500)
Daniel Cormier recently took on the role of being a matchmaker for Khamzat Chimaev's next fight during an episode of ESPN MMA's DC & RC show.
Following Chimaev's impressive performance against Gilbert Burns, many believe that Colby Covington is the next logical fight for the rising welterweight star. However, Cormier pointed out that booking a Covington-Chimaev matchup could lead to a problematic scenario in the 170-pound title picture.
According to 'DC', a scenario in which Covington beats Chimaev and Kamaru Usman defeats Leon Edwards would inevitably lead to a redundant trilogy bout between 'The Nigerian Nightmare' and 'Chaos'.
With that in mind, the former UFC double champion has another opponent in mind for the Russian-born Swede. 'DC' stated:
"What I believe Khamzat should do... I think you put Khamzat against Belal Muhammad. Belal Muhammad has a style that at times can be a bit less than entertaining. By putting him in there with a guy like Khamzat, it almost guarantees that he has to fight because he won't just take Khamzat down."
Check out Daniel Cormier's comments in the clip below:
Chimaev currently holds the No. 3 spot in the UFC welterweight rankings. The undefeated star is now on a five-fight winning streak in the UFC with an overall professional record of 11-0.
Meanwhile, Muhammad recently entered the division's top five by earning a dominant win against Vicente Luque in April. 'Remember The Name' is currently riding an impressive eight-fight unbeaten streak.
Belal Muhammad on Khamzat Chimaev - "I saw weaknesses in him"
Khamzat Chimaev is seen as a divisional boogeyman with several welterweight contenders trying to avoid a matchup against him. However, Belal Muhammad apparently likes his chances against 'Borz' after seeing him compete against Gilbert Burns earlier this year.
Muhammad and Khamzat Chimaev recently agreed to lock horns inside the octagon during a cordial social media interaction. Nothing has been finalized yet, but it appears to be a viable option for both fighters.
Looking ahead to the potential fight, 'Remember the Name' revealed that he has observed some chinks in 'Borz's' armor. During an appearance on Brendan Schaub's Food Truck Diaries, Muhammad said:
"I saw weaknesses in him. Obviously people are like, 'Oh man, he's not as good as we thought he was.' But I’m like, 'Yo, he showed that he had the chin, he showed that he got power,' and it’s like – you’re fighting Gilbert Burns."
Watch Belal Muhammad's full interview with Brendan Schaub below: