Darren Till gives bold prediction for Khamzat Chimaev vs. Kamaru Usman
With Paulo Costa out of UFC 294 owing to medical complications, Khamzat Chimaev will now face former welterweight kingpin Kamaru Usman in Abu Dhabi, and Darren Till believes that it's going to be an easy night for 'Borz'.
During an interview with The Schmo at the past weekend misfits event, Till, who is close friends with the Chechen-born athlete, predicted despite that 'The Nigerian Nightmare's' laurels, he was going to get "ragdolled' by Chimaev:
"I'm trying to get there. I love Khamzat, God bless him. Usman's got ba**s, but I think Khamzat is going to run over him, I do. I mean as much as I'm his friend, I'm his biggest fan. Khamzat is, I think he's going to run over Usman. All respect to him. He is a GOAT but yeah, I think Khamzat is going to ragdoll him, I do, sorry to say."
Catch Darren Till's comments below (1:24):
Most odds makers also seem to agree with Till's assessment. According to UFC's official website, 'Borz' is a -360 heavy favorite for the fight, with Usman as a +285 underdog.
Khamzat Chimaev is undefeated in MMA with a record of 12-0. All except one of his UFC fights have ended before the bell.
Usman holds a record of 20-3. Although he is one of the all-time greats of the promotion, he is currently on a two-fight skid and will be desperately hunting for a win against 'Borz.'
UFC 294 is scheduled for Saturday, October 21, at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. The lightweight title banger between Islam Makhachev and Alexander Volkanovski will headline the event.
Dana White confirms middleweight title shot for winner of Khamzat Chimaev vs. Kamaru Usman
UFC CEO Dana White has confirmed that the winner of Khamzat Chimaev vs. Kamaru Usman will get the next crack at the 185lbs title. During a recent episode of The Pat McAfee Show, the 54-year-old explained the rationale behind his decision, saying:
"That is an absolute fact. The fact that these guys are taking this fight on short notice, [the winner] will get the next shot at the title, barring injuries and other things that can possibly happen."
Catch Dana White's comments below (1:47:15):
Sean Strickland currently holds the middleweight strap. Interestingly, Usman has already beaten 'Tarzan' once in the past when they locked horns at UFC 210.