"Why is he going to take on a young killer like Khamzat?" - Aljamain Sterling explains why Colby Covington will probably avoid stylistically "tough fight" against Khamzat Chimaev
UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling has become the latest fighter to share his opinion on a potential matchup between Khamzat Chimaev and Colby Covington.
According to 'Funk Master', Covington will probably try to dodge an encounter with 'Borz' inside the octagon. Sterling justified his comment by stating that Chimaev may prove to be a stylistic nightmare for 'Chaos' if the two ever competed against each other.
"It seems like he [Covington] just wants to take the top name guys and he's smart. Why is he going to take on a young killer like Khamzat? It's a tough fight for him stylistically because it's a bigger wrestler and even though Colby is a really good wrestler, he's fighting almost a mirror image of himself except the guy with really good submission skills."
You can watch Sterling speak about the Colby Covington vs Khamzat Chimaev below:
Chimaev was recently scheduled to take on Nate Diaz in the main event of UFC 279. After failing to make the welterweight limit, the Chechen-born Swede was matched up against Kevin Holland in a catchweight (180 pounds) fight.
Chimaev had an incredible outing come fight night as he immediately scored a takedown on 'Big Mouth' and went on to submit him in the opening round of the fight.
Josh Thomson thinks Colby Covington is a bad matchup for Khamzat Chimaev
Josh Thomson's thoughts on Khamzat Chimaev vs. Colby Covington are polar opposite to those of Aljamain Sterling. According to Thomson, Covington could prove to be a tough challenge for 'Borz' and could fare well in their potential encounter.
"Colby Covington is one of those guys, his style, his stand-up, it looks horrible but it works for him. And you mix that with the ability to get takedowns and stuff takedowns and make you work and his cardio... He's a bad matchup, I think, for Chimaev."
You can watch Thomson share his opinion about the matchup below:
Colby Covington was last seen in action at UFC 272. He took on friend-turned-foe Jorge Masvidal in the main event of the card. 'Chaos' used his grappling skills to outclass Masvidal for the majority of the fight and ended up winning a comfortable unanimous decision.