"That's when you recognize a true warrior" - Georges St-Pierre explains why he believes Khamzat Chimaev has the potential to become UFC champion
Former UFC champion Georges St-Pierre recently weighed in on the possibility of Khamzat Chimaev becoming a UFC champion.
'Borz', who is currently on a five-fight winning streak in the promotion, is coming off a hard-fought decision win against former title challenger Gilbert Burns at UFC 273.
During the UFC Athlete Q&A ahead of UFC Paris, St-Pierre was asked what he thought of Chimaev's title chances. According to 'GSP':
"Yes, Khamzat [Chimaev] is very good. He's got all the skills. He's very good, and he's showcased incredible durability and great mental strength in his last fight with Gilbert Burns. Because he was pushed to the limit, and that's when you recognize a true warrior, a true champion, than a contender. When he faced those moments of adversity, and some collapse but some pushed through and succeed."
'Rush' referenced Chimaev's last fight against Gilbert Burns as a test that he managed to pass with flying colors. 'Borz' faced 'Durinho' at UFC 273 earlier this year, in the only fight that he failed to finish.
The fight won the Fight of the Night bonus and extended Chimaev's win streak to 11. It also propelled him to the third spot in the welterweight contenders rankings.
Prior to that, Chimaev came into the promotion with a 6-0 unbeaten record.The Russian-born Swede's first four fights in the UFC won him Performance of the Night bonuses.
Georges St-Pierre certainly knows a thing or two about the welterweight championship and believes Khamzat Chimaev has the tools to make it to the top.
Watch St-Pierre's comments at the UFC Athlete Q&A event (starting at 32:16):
Joe Rogan praises Nate Diaz for fighting the dangerous Khamzat Chimaev
Khamzat Chimaev's explosive run of form has set up a fight with fan favorite Nate Diaz. The two welterweights will headline UFC 279 in what is potentially Diaz's last fight in the UFC.
UFC commentator and media personality Joe Rogan weighed in on the fight and praised Chimaev's abilities inside the octagon. On This Past Weekend with Theo Von, Rogan said:
"Khamzat [Chimaev] is a f**king assassin. Khamzat is a terrifying human being. He's terrifying, he's really good. He's really good and really big. You should be [scared]. Khamzat's a murderer. I mean, when he gets into that octagon, he's seek and destroy. He's a dangerous man."
Rogan also expressed his admiration for Nate Diaz for agreeing to step inside the octagon against the Russian-born Swede. Diaz risks losing his farewell fight in the UFC but stands to gain much more adulation if he can pull off an upset against the surging Khamzat Chimaev.
The renowned podcaster spoke about Diaz's courage:
"Nate [Diaz] asked for that fight! Nate wanted to fight Francis Ngannou. Nate is as game as a human being has ever been. That dude is wild."
Check out Joe Rogan's comments on This Past Weekend: