Getty UFC fighter Khamzat Chimaev in July 2020.
Rising UFC star Khamzat Chimaev proved on Saturday that he is the real deal, and a top-ranked welterweight is ready to try and stop the hype train.
Chimaev returned to the Octagon after more than a year away and he looked sensational, choking out No. 11-ranked 170-pounder Li Jingliang in the first round of their UFC 267 main card bout on October 30, 2021. The Russian is now 10-0 and when the official UFC rankings update this week, he’ll be a ranked fighter.
And No. 8-ranked welterweight Neil Magny is prepared to test “Borz.” The two have expressed interest in fighting each other in the past, but a contest has never come to fruition. In a recent interview with MMA Junkie, Magny said he believes the timing is right for the UFC to schedule a match.
GettyNeil Magny punches Anthony Rocco Martin in their welterweight bout during the UFC 250 event at UFC APEX on June 06, 2020 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
“I was going about my day after the fight happened and I was getting messages with the same old routine saying, ‘No one wants to fight this guy.’ ‘I doubt on Monday when the new rankings come out that anyone in the top 10 will fight this guy.’ ‘He’s just a monster and everyone is going to do their best to avoid him,’” Magny told the outlet. “I’m sitting there reading these comments over and over again like, ‘What? No way. I wanted to fight this guy a year ago.’ Nothing has changed today. He did come back, he did look impressive against Jingliang, but for me it adds fuel to the fire. It makes me want to fight him more than I did last year.
“Maybe it was a good thing this fight got pushed off as long as it did. A year ago I would have 100 percent might’ve looked past him, like, ‘Ah whatever. Some new kid that thinks he’s hot stuff. School this kid and show him what’s up.’ Coming out here and beating Jingliang the way he did, it definitely made me take a step back like, ‘Oh damn. This kid’s legit.’ He definitely has some skills that he brings to the table. To me, that’s the kind of fight that makes it more exciting – the guys that make you have to stay on your A-game. When I saw what he did to Jingliang, that made me more excited to fight him.”
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‘In a Perfect World,’ Magny Will Fight Chimaev on December 18
According to Magny, the UFC is actively trying to schedule a fight for him that would take place on December 18, 2021. “The Haitian Sensation” said he already had an opponent lined up, but the unnamed combatant pulled out due to injury.
Magny hopes that the UFC will match him against Chimaev on that card.
“I was offered a fight for Dec. 18 and the fight ended up falling through because the opponent got injured shortly after. As of now, the UFC is working actively to get me a replacement for Dec. 18. So in a perfect world, this fight takes place Dec. 18. He absorbed zero damage against Jingliang, and I think in my opinion that would be a good turnaround for him. I would give him ample time to get back in the gym and get ready to face a tough opponent like me and go out there and put out an amazing fight.
“I want to go to war against a guy like Chimaev. I know for a fact that I can drag him into deep water and beat him. So, that’s what I’m looking to do against him.”
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Magny Has 25 Wins on His Record, 4-1 in Last 5 Fights
Magny is 4-1 in his last five bouts, including a unanimous decision win over Jingliang as well. He has a professional MMA record of 25-8. His last fight took place in May 2021 when defeated Geoff Neal by unanimous decision.
The Haitian Sensation holds notable wins over former UFC welterweight champion Robbie Lawler, former interim UFC welterweight champion Carlos Condit and Neal.
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Ready to Derail Khamzat Chimaev Hype Train: ‘Go to War’