"I was blown away" - An impressed Eric Nicksick breaks down Khamzat Chimaev's fighting style ahead of UFC 294
Khamzat Chimaev is set to make his return to the octagon after more than a year of inactivity when he faces Kamaru Usman at UFC 294. Eric Nicksick, who has worked with 'Borz' in the past, broke down the No.4-ranked welterweight's fighting style ahead of his return.
Speaking on Morning Kombat with Luke Thomas and Brian Campbell, the mixed martial arts coach stated:
"[What] I was blown away at by Khamzat was his blend between his striking and his wrestling and that little bit of that level feint where my product placement goes, my high lows, and he's collecting data. He's trying to see when I feint and level change, is he looking to underhook? Is he looking to down block? Is he looking to frame? What is he doing? What data am I collecting?"
Nicksick claimed that even as the pad holder, he was taken aback before adding:
"The other thing that I really love about Khamzat's style is he doesn't employ two part takedowns. He has a penetration step when he gets entered, he doesn't stop his feet. There's a carom that Randy [Couture] always talked about off the cage. There's a bounce so when you get that carom, it's the yank right off of it. So, there's no two part takedown when it comes to Khamzat. It's blast, go and tear through that thing."
Check out Eric Nicksick's comments about Khamzat Chimaev below:
Chimaev has displayed his ability to strike and wrestle plenty in his mixed martial arts career. He remains undefeated through 12 bouts, with six victories coming via knockout and five victories coming via submission.
Khamzat Chimaev expected to make weight at UFC 294
Khamzat Chimaev missed weight in his last bout, leading three fights on the UFC 279 card to be reshuffled. 'Borz' faced plenty of backlash for the weight miss and his subsequent actions, which included taunting the crowd. Mike Bohn of MMA Junkie recently revealed that the No.4-ranked welterweight appears in line to make weight at UFC 294, tweeting:
"Khamzat Chimaev is already on weight for #UFC294, per source, and will only have to cut anything he gains overnight before weigh-ins tomorrow morning. No drama expected on the scale."
Check out Mike Bohn's tweet on Khamzat Chimaev's weight below:
Chimaev ended up fighting at a catchweight in his last bout after coming in seven and a half pounds heavier than the welterweight non-title fight limit. His UFC 294 bout with Kamaru Usman will take place at middleweight.