“He will be a much better fighter at middleweight,” the Irishman wrote on social media. “He’ll be facing bigger opponents, though not this time as he’s facing a welterweight. But now he will be bigger and stronger himself. This is the perfect fight for the Chechen. I’m excited to see how this story develops”
Last week, former UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman agreed to replace Paulo Costa, who pulled out due to illness, and face Hamzat Chimaev at middleweight on Oct. 21 at UFC 294 in Abu Dhabi.
The winner of the bout, which will be the number two contender in the numbered event, will get a title shot and challenge current division champion Sean Strickland.