Khamzat Chimaev has cemented himself in the welterweight top five, and according to an MMA pundit, 170-pound UFC champion Kamaru Usman is “terrified.”
BT Sport’s Nick Peet spoke with TalkSport.com after UFC 273. First, he gave an assessment on Chimaev’s hard-fought victory over No. 2 Gilbert Burns during the event’s featured bout on April 9 in Jacksonville, Florida.
“I’ll tell you what, he went toe to toe with Gilbert Burns,” Peet said via the outlet. “Okay, he didn’t finish him in one round, but you know what? I’m quite happy that he didn’t because he’s also proved that he’s got the minerals for a fight.
“He kept going, turned it around in the third [round], won the fight. Tell you what, sensation is truly the accurate word to describe him.
“Borz” versus Burns was an all-time war, with both fighters putting it on the line for three rounds. Each combatant was dropped by the other, and in the end, the judges gave Chimaev the fight via unanimous decision.
Peet Compared Conor McGregor & Chimaev, Said Usman Is ‘Terrified’ of Borz
Peet went on to compare Chimaev with mixed martial arts’ biggest superstar, Conor McGregor. Peet sees “Notorious” as a “Bond-style like main attraction” whereas Borz is more like a “Bond villain.”
“He’s a completely different type of personality to Conor McGregor,” Peet continued.
“Whereas Conor is more of like the James Bond-style main attraction. This guy is 100 percent a Bond villain. He looks like a Bond villain. He talks like a Bond villain. He fights like a Bond villain. The UFC knows how to make a superstar and this guy’s a superstar.”
Chimaev has put on entire 170-pound division on notice, Peet said, and even the welterweight king is “terrified.”
“This welterweight division – it’s absolutely terrifying but I’ll tell you now, all of them, including Kamaru Usman, is terrified of this guy.”
“The Nigerian Nightmare” is currently sidelined with a hand injury and when he returns, he’ll take on No. 3 Leon Edwards, UFC president Dana White confirmed recently.
Chimaev Was Critical of His Own Performance Against Burns, Said He Hunted for the KO Too Often
Chimaev entered the Octagon on Saturday night fully expecting to starch “Durinho” in the first round. However, that didn’t happen. Burns proved why he’s rated one of the best 170 pounders in the world, taking Chimaev’s best shots and delivering his own punishment in return.
Borz had to dig deep and pass a test he’s never faced before. He did, but the result was far from perfect. Specifically, Chimaev was dropped at the end of the second round, right before the horn blew. If the frame had another minute left, who knows if Chimaev would have survived.
The next time fans see Chimaev in the Octagon, Borz said he’ll look to remain more technical and focused on defense, instead of hunting for a highlight-reel KO.
“I was too excited to knock him out,” Chimaev said during the post-fight presser via MMA Fighting. “I was saying to everybody all week I was going to knock him out in one round. I tried to knock him out. That was wrong for me, from the beginning.
“The guy was tough, I didn’t accept that. From the first second to the last second, I tried to finish him. Next time, I’m going to work to be a little bit smarter. I’m going to smash somebody.
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UFC Champ Kamaru Usman Is ‘Terrified’ of ‘James Bond Villian’ Fighter