Tom Aspinall showers praise on Khamzat Chimaev's dominant win over Robert Whittaker at UFC 308
Khamzat Chimaev stunned the combat sports world after submitting Robert Whittaker in round one at UFC 308 on Oct. 26. He handed the Australian the first submission loss of his octagon career and, according to Tom Aspinall, will become the next middleweight champion.
'Borz' was awarded Performance of the Night for his showing and has been doused in praise by the Brit, who admitted that the middleweight contender's win "inspired" him.
Chimaev had long been assumed to achieve great things in MMA. But his inactivity over the passed three years, coupled with his disastrous UFC 279 weight miss, created disillusion among fans about the Chechen's potential.
However, he returned more than a year on from his clash with Kamaru Usman at UFC 294 to thoroughly dominate Whittaker en route to a brutal submission.
Aspinall was asked to share his thoughts on 'Borz' during a recent interview with Red Corner MMA, and he said:
"The guy is incredible, absolutely incredible. I think to do that to Rob Whittaker. It honestly inspires me to be better. Because you go in there and dominate a former champion like that, that easy, without taking any shots. Being completely one-sided. Inspiring man, the guy is incredible... He's definitely gonna be a champion. I want to see him and [Dricus du Plessis] next, that's nothing against Sean Strickland."
Catch Tom Aspinall's comments on Khamzat Chimaev below (12:10):
Dricus du Plessis wants Khamzat Chimaev next, not Sean Strickland rematch
Dricus du Plessis was expected to face Sean Strickland in his next middleweight title defense, with UFC CEO Dana White also indicating that the rematch was what the matchmakers were focused on putting together.
But following UFC 308, it appears that Khamzat Chimaev has caught the champion's attention, with 'Stillknocks' recently expressing his desire to face the Chechen next.
Du Plessis explained that Chimaev's unbeaten record had a role to play in his mindset change, as well as the fact that he already beat Strickland at UFC 297 this past January.
During a recent episode of Fight Chats, hosted by South African comedian and actor Rikus de Beer, the middleweight champion explained:
"As a fan of the sport, and as the middleweight champion, [Chimaev] is a fight that gets me more excited. Taking somebody's [undefeated record]. I've beaten Strickland before and I know I'll beat him again. Getting that Khamzat fight, that gets me excited. I think the whole world, the fans want to see it... The Khamzat fight is 100 percent what I want."
Catch Dricus du Plessis discuss Khamzat Chimaev below (2:25):