"He's the Muslim Conor McGregor"- ATT owner Dan Lambert is in awe of Khamzat Chimaev's charisma; says 'Borz' could soon fight for the title
Last week's UFC 267 event saw rising welterweight sensation Khamzat Chimaev effortlessly submit veteran Li Jingliang with a first-round rear-naked choke technical submission.
In a recent episode of Punchin' In, American Top Team's founder Dan Lambert hailed Khamzat Chimaev as the 'Muslim Conor McGregor', implying that 'Borz' would have a similar rise to the top as the Irishman did in his prime. Dan Lambert said:
"He is the Muslim Conor McGregor... he got a ton of hype and a ton of talk after a couple of quick notice turnaround fights. The guy looks like he has got a crazy skill set but let's see him fight somebody good. He hasn't fought anybody really tough yet. It's hard to get too excited about somebody or maybe it's too easy to get excited but it's a bit premature."
From considering retirement from the sport after contracting COVID-19, Khamzat Chimaev came a long way establishing himself to the point where he is now being considered for a future title shot against Kamaru Usman. Whether the championship bout materializes or not, Chimaev has already solidified his position as one of the must-see names in the division.
Chimaev got the spotlight on him fair and square when he picked up his opponent, carried him across the Octagon, slammed him down, and locked him in the rear-naked choke, all the while talking to Dana White, who was seated outside the cage.
Dana White just told me that when Khamzat brought Li over to him, he was saying, Who's next? I'll fight anyone. Give me Brock Lesnar, I don't care. #UFC267
In the post-fight octagon interview, he put the entire division on notice in style.
"EVERYBODY! I COME HERE FOR EVERYBODY! KILL EVERYBODY! I'M THE CHAMP!"
@KChimaev wakes up and ALWAYS chooses violence 😰 #UFC267 https://t.co/7e7z1lrLBc
This guy is a f***ing superstar: Dan Lambert on Khamzat Chimaev
Dan Lambert went on to compare compare Khamzat Chimaev to Khabib Nurmagomedov as well. The ATT founder suggested that the Russian-Swedish fighter has the right background and charismatic appeal to replace 'The Eagle' in the UFC when it comes to drawing in audiences from Islamic countries.
"I've promoted fights, I've managed a ton of fighters, I'm fairly well-knowledged about how the business side of it works for some of these big promoters. This guy is a f***ing superstar. The UFC wants a Muslim superstar because Khabib was huge money to the UFC to send over there to shows in that part of the world. And there's a lot of money over there and they want the local star," Dan Lambert added.
Lambert also pointed out that while Khabib Nurmagomedov took his sweet time to become a more marketable fighter, Khamzat Chimaev is already there. He said:
"From a charisma side and marketability side, he wasn't the most exciting fighter in the world... but this guy, Khamzat is oozing charisma."
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