Israel Adesanya "in trouble" if Khamzat Chimaev moves to middleweight, insists Henry Cejudo
Henry Cejudo has suggested that Khamzat Chimaev will likely defeat Israel Adesanya in a potential middleweight matchup. Chimaev has competed in the welterweight (170-pound) and middleweight (185-pound) divisions in his MMA career.
Meanwhile, Adesanya has competed in the middleweight and light heavyweight (205-pound) divisions in his MMA career. Additionally, 'The Last Stylebender' is also the reigning UFC middleweight champion, with five successful title defenses to his name thus far.
In an appearance on The Triple C & Schmo Show, MMA legend Henry Cejudo suggested that 'The Last Stylebender' lacks the grappling skills to deal with Chimaev, who's a fearsome freestyle wrestling phenom. Cejudo stated:
“I still think a guy like [Khamzat] Chimaev comes up, and the dude [Israel Adesanya] is in trouble. Even though Chimaev had.” Cejudo cut himself off mid-sentence and continued, “I think Chimaev is really struggling to make 170, and we know that. So, I think he’s going to find his home at 185, and I think he’s going to wreck some people.”
Presently, Israel Adesanya is coming off a unanimous decision victory over Jared Cannonier in their middleweight title matchup at UFC 276 on July 2. It’s believed that Adesanya will defend his title against archnemesis Alex Pereira later this year. Pereira notably holds two wins over 'The Last Stylebender' albeit in the sport of kickboxing and not in MMA.
Watch Henry Cejudo discuss the topic at 14:11 in the video below:
Khamzat Chimaev believes he could become a three-division UFC champion
The undefeated Khamzat Chimaev’s most recent fight was a closely-contested unanimous decision victory over welterweight mainstay Gilbert Burns at UFC 273 in April. The consensus is that, by beating Burns, ‘Borz’ has proven his mettle as an elite 170-pound fighter.
While some argue that Khamzat Chimaev is still another marquee win away from a welterweight title shot, others feel that he’s done enough to earn it. Furthermore, in an episode of the Russian-based Hustle MMA podcast last year, Chimaev emphasized that he’s aiming for much more than just the welterweight belt.
last night!This was WAR 💥
@KChimaev and @GilbertDurinho brought the 🔥 last night! https://t.co/LMklFEpYCX
Chimaev claimed that he could surely become a three-division UFC champion, a feat that no fighter has been able to accomplish as of yet. 'Borz' is seemingly pursuing the UFC welterweight, middleweight, and light heavyweight titles.
With that being said, Khamzat Chimaev acknowledged that he’d probably have to focus on weightlifting to gain size and strength ahead of a potential move to light heavyweight. Chimaev said:
"Of course, if you want to be the best fighter in the world, regardless of the weight category, you have to fight with everyone and don't just say, 'I'm better at one weight.' I have plans to fight 84 and, if possible, 93. We will see.”