"We know that when we didn't make Kamaru versus Leon instantly" - Chael Sonnen claims Khamzat Chimaev was likely to fight for welterweight title next had he not missed weight at UFC 279
Chael Sonnen believes Khamzat Chimaev missed out on a shot at UFC gold after missing weight at UFC 279.
'Borz' recently called out Colby Covington for a fight on Twitter.
@ColbyCovMMA next ☠️
In a video uploaded to his YouTube channel, Sonnen weighed in on the callout. According to 'The American Gangster', Chimaev had to call out Covington as he failed to earn a title shot by missing weight at UFC 279:
"I believe we're only in this spot because Chimaev didn't make weight. By the way, we'll never know... but we do know that whether Chimaev was going to fight Leon [Edwards] next or not, whether that came around or not, we don't have a crystal ball, we do know that was being discussed. We know that when we didn't make Kamaru [Usman] vs. Leon instantly.
"We know that when the audience was told [Nate] Diaz vs. Chimaev was a No.1 contender's match and that statement was never amended... I do think Chimaev not fighting at 170 [at UFC 279] is what's going to cost him the title fight."
Watch the full video below:
Chimaev was supposed to fight Nate Diaz in the main event of UFC 279. However, the Chechen-born Swede came in overweight at 178.5 pounds, putting the main event in jeopardy. The UFC reshuffled the fight card and Chimaev was then matched up against Kevin Holland for a catchweight bout (180 pounds).
'Borz' overwhelmed Holland with his grappling skills and submitted him in the very first round.
Khamzat Chimaev might move up to middleweight
In a recent tweet, Khamzat Chimaev hinted at a possible move up to the middleweight division.
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1 8 5 👊🏼💥 https://t.co/urOK6BPayG
Chimaev's coach Andreas Michael also seems to think that the 28-year-old will fight at middleweight next:
"I think the next fight is going to be at middleweight... The only thing that he [Khamzat Chimaev] thinks is a hassle is the weight cut. He just thinks it's hell, he hates it... He just wants to train and eat, that's it."
Since Khamzat Chimaev's post, people have started speculating as to who could be his first opponent if the Chechen-born Swede does decide to move up to 185 pounds.
Paulo Costa, who has been feuding with Chimaev, could be a possible opponent. Former UFC champion Robert Whittaker's name has also come up while discussing an opponent for 'Borz'.