Neil Magny calls Khamzat Chimaev "the real deal" after training with him
For a number of months, Neil Magny has been calling for a fight against huge prospect Khamzat Chimaev, but after recently sharing a training room with him, the contender has labeled his fellow welterweight "the real deal".
'The Haitian Sensation' is looking to build on his win over Daniel Rodriguez but will face the incredibly tough task of facing Gilbert Burns this weekend at UFC 283. Taking place in Rio de Janeiro, the 170lb clash could skyrocket the veteran towards the top of the division if he is able to put on a good showing against the Brazilian.
While discussing his recent training session with Khamzat Chimaev, Neil Magny insisted that he "f***ed around and found out," though he would still welcome the fight he has been campaigning for since the European's rise to fame.
"Oh, 100% [I still want the Chimaev fight]. We had a slight opportunity to train in New York and the guy is definitely the real deal. The best way I can explain it is, 'I f***ed around and found out.' Khamzat is definitely the real deal, I kind of went in there like, 'Oh, here's this sweet little wolf that I can train with in jiu-jitsu.' And that thing got real, real fast... Damn, this guy is actually the real deal. He's not a fighter that I can take lightly at all. If I'm being honest, if I'd have got that fight early on, I might have set myself up for failure, looking past him a little bit."
Although he's never gotten his hands on Chimaev, the 35-year-old has managed to lock horns with another rising star set for a big career in the sport when he collided with Shavkat Rakhmonov on June 25, in a bout he lost via submission.
Check out what Neil Magny had to say about his time training with the Swede in the video below.
#TheMMAHour
youtu.be/GxJ5Qb9CIXs.@NeilMagny says Khamzat Chimaev is the "real deal" after training together, but would still fight him 🐺 #TheMMAHour
"I f***ed around and found out."
▶️ youtu.be/GxJ5Qb9CIXs https://t.co/YztYSA8kim
Khamzat Chimaev's future at welterweight
Doubts still surround Khamzat Chimaev's future in the welterweight division after he failed to make weight ahead of his highly-anticipated fight against Nate Diaz last year.
Although it seems he is set to remain in the weight class, recent rumors are suggesting that he is done at 170lbs and is ready to make middleweight his permanent home.
While he may come unstuck in the bigger division, he arguably has a huge chance of capturing UFC gold given the fact that champion Alex Pereira lacks a grappling background.