"He's a true title threat" - Chael Sonnen weighs in on whether Khamzat Chimaev will fight Israel Adesanya for the UFC middleweight belt

Israel Adesanya (left), Chael Sonnen (center) & Khamzat Chimaev (right) [Image Credits- @khamzat_chimaev on Instagram]

The ambitious Khamzat Chimaev has previously expressed an interest in locking horns with Israel Adesanya for the middleweight title. Interestingly, Chael Sonnen believes that 'Borz' is capable of the same, if not more.

However, he asserted that Chimaev fighting for the middleweight strap anytime soon is highly unlikely. He opined that Chimaev was going to conquer the welterweight division before making any moves up the ladder, thereby dismissing any possibilities of a fight against Israel Adesanya in the near future.

Sonnen offered his views on the prospect of Khamzat Chimaev competing in the middleweight division in a video that he posted on his YouTube channel. In the video he answered a number of questions that were posed to him by his fans on Twitter.

"No I don't think so. Not in a meaningful amount of time. You are going to do it in order. You're going to start at 170lbs before you move him to 185lbs. You're going to have success at 185lbs before you move him to 205lbs. He's not going to bounce around. Now that he's made it clear that he's a true title threat, you'll lock him in one division at a time and you'll go in order, starting with the smallest. The likelihood of him, because this is years from now, Adesanya still being champion, I'm pretty light on the idea," asserted Chael Sonnen.

Catch Chael Sonnen breaking down Khamzat Chimaev's prospects at middleweight, right here:

Chael Sonnen believes Khamzat Chimaev could be the first triple-champion

Much of the hype around Khamzat Chimaev began after he broke into mainstream MMA discourse on the back of a series of astonishing performances in 2020. While conceding that the 27-year-old had a lot more left to prove, Chael Sonnen went on to state that 'Borz' had the ingredients to become the UFC's first three division champion.

"Right now, it is hype. Are there skills there? Oh, you bet. Could the hype be real? Oh, sure. Time will tell. But it is hype. If you want to know who is most equipped, who could [become a three division champion]. Not who's likely to do it, who's most likely to do it. I also see it as Chimaev," admitted Chael Sonnen.

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Sonnen opined that Chimaev's training sessions with the likes of Alexander Gustafsson could truly bolster his claim to the coveted mantle of champ-champ-champ.

Fighting out of the Allstars Training Center, Gustafsson previously revealed how Chimaev pushed him to be the best fighter he could be, serving as his main sparring partner.

His experience against one of the greatest light heavyweights in the UFC could go a long way when he mounts a crusade to conquer the 205lbs division. However, Chimaev fans will hope the burgeoning star can stay focused on his immediate goals and take things one step at a time.