“It’s an interesting fight,” said the Australian in another video posted on his Youtube channel. “We all know that Kamaru Usman has a very good takedown defense. Colby Covington had a lot of trouble moving Usman. On the contrary, Usman was transitioning him. So, we can expect this fight to be a stand-up fight.”
“Chimaev will be aggressive, while Usman is a versatile fighter and has wins by spectacular knockouts to his credit. Chimaev has a size advantage because he’s a little closer to middleweight, but Usman is also a tough guy and the more interesting their confrontation. Chimaev will be better prepared physically, because I don’t know how much Usman has been training. Besides, Chimaev is a fighter who sets a very high pace”
“Will Usman be able to stop his takedowns? I think yes. Will he be able to keep up with Chimaev’s pace? Because it’s three rounds and Chimaev won’t save his energy, he’ll come out to kill. I think Chimaev’s pace will be the most difficult aspect for Usman, taking the fight on short notice. If Usman gets gas tanked under Chimaev’s pressure, it’s going to be a tough night for him”
Earlier, UFC president, Dana White revealed that the winner of the fight between Khazat Chimaev and Kamaru Usman will get a middleweight title shot and will be the next opponent for current division champion Sean Strickland.
As a reminder, Volkanovski and Usman accepted fights on short notice, replacing the eliminated Charles Oliveira and Paulo Costa, respectively.