Khamzat Chimaev explains why it’s easier for him to beat Israel Adesanya than Kamaru Usman
Khamzat Chimaev believes it’s easier for him to defeat middleweight champion, Israel Adesanya, than welterweight champ, Kamaru Usman.
Chimaev is set to face Gilbert Burns at UFC 273 in a fascinating bout as it’s the first real test for the Swede. Should he get his hand raised, he would likely get a title shot against Usman which would be a massive fight. However, even though he’s focused on welterweight, ‘Borz’ believes he’d have more success against Adesanya due to the fact he doesn’t think the middleweight champ can defend his takedowns.
“Izzy, I think it will be more easy for me to smash that guy [than Kamaru Usman],” Chimaev said on The MMA Hour. “He has zero wrestling. The guy he fought last time, he’s not a wrestler — he took his back. If I take his back, brother, I’ll squeeze his head off. I’ll take his head off. Easy money for me.”
Khamzat Chimaev is confident he will go out and beat Gilbert Burns, and do so by stoppage. If he does just that, he knows he’ll get the title fight and be one step closer to proving he will go down as one of the best ever.
“I think I have to fight for the title,” Chimaev said. “Who is the next guy out there? Ten fights, 10 finishes. After [the Burns fight], 11 fights, 11 finishes. And what are they going to say? The guy is No. 2 in the rankings. Now they talk about, ‘Oh, you didn’t fight somebody in the rankings.’ Now, if I beat this guy — No. 2 — what are you going to say?…
“I feel [like] I could kill everybody, brother,” Chimaev said. “I am the greatest of all-time, brother. I am the best.”
Chimaev is currently just 4-0 in the UFC but has barely been hit and dominated all of his opponents and looks to be something special.
