When manager prophesied why Khamzat Chimaev would be a "horrifying" fight for Alex Pereira
Khamzat Chimaev’s manager, Majdi Shammas once predicted that a potential fight between Chimaev and former middleweight champion Alex Pereira would be “horrifying” for Pereira.
In a 2023 interview with Frontkick, Shammas suggested that Pereira would struggle against Chimaev's relentless grappling, contrasting it with Pereira’s striking-based approach.
While both fighters were on fast climbs in their respective divisions, Shammas believed Chimaev’s style would pose an immense challenge for Pereira:
"Only God knows what would happen if Khamzat was in those positions. That’d be horrifying for Pereira. So of course, Alex is a more preferable fight. But it doesn’t matter as long as he gets the title.”
Check out Majdi Shammas' comments below (5:25):
Chimaev’s rapid rise in the UFC saw him moving between the welterweight and middleweight divisions, while Pereira claimed the middleweight belt in 2022. However, a fight between the two never materialized.
As Chimaev focused on high-profile fights across divisions, Pereira eventually moved to light heavyweight, where he captured the title. With Pereira now firmly at light heavyweight, the highly anticipated matchup remains out of reach for the foreseeable future.
Henry Cejudo believes Khamzat Chimaev deserves the title shot over Sean Strickland
Following Khamzat Chimaev’s dominant UFC 308 victory over Robert Whittaker, former UFC double-champion Henry Cejudo is convinced that Chimaev is the top contender for the middleweight title.
Chimaev’s performance saw him secure a quick takedown and injure Whittaker’s jaw. Reflecting on Chimaev’s fight, Cejudo compared him to Khabib Nurmagomedov, citing the same kind of relentless grappling and control.
On his Pound 4 Pound podcast with Kamaru Usman, Cejudo called for the UFC to match Chimaev against Dricus du Plessis for the title:
“I was wrong about Khamzat Chimaev... He pretty much did the same thing that Khabib [Nurmagomedov] did to Conor McGregor. I mean, this guy studies Khabib, like, he really does... He went out there and pretty much face cranked [Whittaker]....We need to skip Sean Strickland and put Khamzat Chimaev in there [with Du Plessis]... Give Khamzat Chimaev that damn title shot.”
Check out Henry Cejudo's comments below (22:27):