If Chimaev beats Colby he will be the number one contender - Chael Sonnen shares his perspective on the Khamzat Chimaev vs. Colby Covington fight

From left to right: Chael Sonnen, Khamzat Chimaev, and Colby Covington [Image Courtesy: @khamzat_chimaev and @colbycovmma on Instagram]

At the UFC 273 post-fight press conference, Dana White said that the UFC would be interested in matching up Khamzat Chimaev with Colby Covington next. According to Chael Sonnen, should Chimaev win the bout against Covington, he will certainly deserve a shot at the title.

However, 'The American Gangster' was quick to point out that Covington must be awarded the same opportunity should he manage to defeat the Russian-born Swede.

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During his YouTube show, Sonnen Said:

“I’m not sold on the idea that you’re going get Colby. I’m just not. Colby has not agreed to this. Colby has not commented on this. If you fight Chimaev, it would seem to me that’s the number one contender’s match. I’m very confident in telling you for Chimaev if he beats Colby, he will be the number one contender. I think you would all expect that. Kamaru Usman would expect that.”

As per the former UFC middleweight, the idea that the matchup will serve as a title eliminator only for 'Borz' makes no sense. Sonnen believes the UFC will have to assure Covington a third shot at the title to make the bout worth his while:

“I’ll tell you right now, Colby will fight Chimaev. I just think you've got to sweeten the pot. I think that you’ve got to guarantee it’s a number one contender smash.”

Sonnen reminded his viewers that Covington has been given the short end of the stick on numerous occasions. 'Chaos' lost the interim title without losing it in the cage. Moreover, 'The American Gangster' pointed out how 'Chaos' wasn't awarded the 'BMF' title following his dominant victory over Jorge Masvidal.

The 𝑲𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒐𝒇 𝑴𝒊𝒂𝒎𝒊 👑

[ @ColbyCovMMA | #UFC272 ] https://t.co/YwpWeBuXbN

Watch Chael Sonnen talk about the potential matchup between Khamzat Chimaev and Colby Covington below:

Khamzat Chimaev vs. Colby Covington betting odds

The idea of a potential matchup between ‘Borz’ and ‘Chaos’ has already been entertained by the odd makers.

Chimaev was initially named as a -200 favorite, with Covington being the underdog at +170 (according to bestfightodds.com). However, the line has since shifted, with 'Chaos' currently sitting at odds of +135. Meanwhile, Chimaev's line is at -155.

This may be due to the fact that the Russian-born Swede sports an unblemished 11 - 0 record. However, his most recent outing against Gilbert Burns was the first time 'Borz' went the entire distance. After his UFC 273 win, Khamzat Chimaev jumped eight places in the rankings and is now placed third in the welterweight division.

Watch Khamzat Chimaev's octagon interview at UFC 273: