"Big difference of levels of wrestling when it comes to Khamzat and Yoel Romero" - Henry Cejudo breaks down why Paulo Costa may prove 'extremely dangerous' for Khamzat Chimaev
After Khamzat Chimaev missed weight by a whopping 7.5 pounds for his previously scheduled bout against Nate Diaz at UFC 279, it appears more and more likely that 'Borz' will compete at middleweight in his next outing.
A bout between the unbeaten phenom and former title challenger Paulo Costa has sent the rumor mill into overdrive ever since their altercation at the UFC P.I. days before UFC 279. Henry Cejudo recently broke down how a potential fight between the duo will play out.
Speaking on his YouTube show, Breaking Down the Fight, Cejudo detailed why Paulo Costa could prove to be a tough matchup for Khamzat Chimaev. The former two-division champion highlighted Costa's stellar takedown defense, as was evident in his memorable three-round bout against Yoel Romero.
"I personally think that's a tough fight for Khamzat... Paulo has gone against world-class wrestlers and has won, has defended him, he wasn't taken down by Yoel Romero. Yoel Romero's got inside trips, Yoel Romero's got double legs. He's got all that's under the sun - there's a big difference of levels of wrestling when it comes to Khamzat and Yoel Romero."
Chimaev clearly has a wrestling-heavy game and we're yet to see how he performs against a proven anti-wrestler. Additionally, Costa is a dangerous striker as well, making this a challenging matchup for 'Borz', according to Cejudo.
"He's [Costa] always looking for that left body shot. He's gonna welt you over. He's gonna will you over and I think that's what makes Paulo Costa extremely dangerous.
Watch Henry Cejudo's full breakdown of Khamzat Chimaev vs. Paulo Costa below:
Paulo Costa believes Khamzat Chimaev is scared of him
In the lead-up to UFC 279, Khamzat Chimaev and Paulo Costa were seen exchanging words at the UFC P.I. in Las Vegas. Chimaev seemingly took offense to Costa's previous comments about him and lashed out at the Brazilian, who appeared to laugh it off.
Looks like Chimaev and Costa got into it at the UFC PI https://t.co/5CzMjFF9Zw
Costa is now gunning for a fight against Chimaev, who looks set to compete at 185 pounds in his next outing. 'Borrachinha' recently appeared on The MMA Hour and revealed that Chimaev will avoid fighting him and that the unbeaten Russian-born Swede is only eyeing favorable matchups.
Costa currently occupies the No.6 spot in the middleweight rankings. A win over the Brazilian will see Chimaev break into the top tier of the division and will move him one step closer to a fight against 185-pound kingpin Israel Adesanya.