Khamzat Chimaev says he's ready for Kamaru Usman and Israel Adesanya
Over the course of the past weekend, Khamzat Chimaev once again proved that the hype surrounding him is as real as it gets. The Swedish fighter, who was back at Middleweight this time, finished off veteran Gerald Meerschaert 17 seconds into the first round of the fight.
Arguably the biggest breakout star of the UFC this year, Khamzat Chimaev sounds confident as ever. In his post-fight interaction with the press, Borz even claimed that he's ready for both the UFC Welterweight Champion, Kamaru Usman, and the UFC Middleweight Champion, Israel Adesanya.
“Of course! Why not? I did hard work for that. I’m ready. Both divisions.”- (via MMA Junkie).
Additionally, Khamzat Chimaev also noted that if he works hard, nobody can pose a challenge to him. The Chechen-born fighter went on to add that if he ever squared off against either Usman or Adesanya, he'd stop both of them.
"If I do my hard work, nobody’s a challenge for me. I’m going to stop both guys.”
Who's next in line for Khamzat Chimaev?
While Khamzat Chimaev says that he is more than ready for anybody in the UFC, the promotion is taking it slow with the rising superstar, who is yet to fight a ranked opponent in the UFC.
Dana White hasn't made Chimaev's next move clear, and there's a possibility that the latter could be in action at the UFC Fight Island for the promotion's second visit to Abu Dhabi. However, Chimaev is expected to make his return to Welterweight for a rumored fight against Demian Maia.
Known for his immense ground-game technique, the Brazilian veteran could be the toughest test yet for Khamzat Chimaev. But after three consecutive victories, there is no doubt that Chimaev will be the favorite heading into his fight against Maia.
As things stand, the fight is yet to the booked by the UFC, and it remains to be seen if Khamzat Chimaev's fourth UFC fight takes place on Fight Island or in Las Vegas.