After a 17 second KO victory over Gerald Meerschaert, the Khamzat Chimaev hype train lives on. During his first fight in the UFC in July, Chimaev was named “Khabib 2.0”. This is because the two have a similar fighting style and look some-what alike. 10 days after his first win, Chimaev cut 15 pounds and was back in the octagon, with a similar performance, destroying his opponent on the ground and getting the finish.
Chimaev was scheduled for his first “real” test since his quick rise to fame. However before his fight with Meerschaert, Dana White announced that a month after this fight he would be fighting the legend Damien Maia. White saying this is the first time he ever double booked someone. The UFC gave Chimaev the spotlight for his Meerschaert fight, and the fans really got to meet him. We realized that he is not completely like Khabib. He did not have the same respect that Khabib shows his opponents, instead Khamzat would not stop talking trash to Meerschaert. His performance proved even further that he is not Khabib, with a one punch Knock Out over Meerschaert. Dana White said that Chimaev is the “most special fighter he has ever seen” and the UFC fully backs Khamzat.
I think Khamzat has everything it takes to be a UFC champion, whether it be at 170 or 185 pounds. He is an amazing wrestler and seems to possess power in his hands. He also has an amazing team behind him, fighting out of the same gym as the legend Alexander Gustaffson. Most importantly the fans love him. He has a fun and loving appearance all while saying he wants to “smash” his opponent. He also is willing to fight anyone at anytime, something that everyone loves. If Khamzat Chimaev keeps getting quick turnarounds and winning in the fashion he is winning at currently I think he will be a UFC champion this time next year.
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