If Hamzat Chimaev pulls off a dominant win over Paulo Costa, he could overtake South African Dricus Du Plessis, the No. 1 ranked middleweight in the UFC, in the title race.
This was announced by the division’s reigning champion Israel Adesanya.
“Definitely so,” stated the Nigerian. “I wanted to fight Dricus, but he missed his chance. The guy said his leg was hurting. Look at my leg – it’s swollen like a balloon.”
For the Borz bout to become a reality, Israel Adesanya must defend his title against Sean Strickland on Sept. 9 at UFC 293 in Sydney, while a fight between Hamzat Chimaev and Paulo Costa will take place on Oct. 21 at UFC 294 in Abu Dhabi.
Dricus Du Plessis moved to the top of the division’s rankings last month with an early victory over Robert Whittaker in a contender’s bout.
Source: https://fighttime.ru/news/item/32355-khamzat-chimaev-mozhet-obojti-v-titulnoj-gonke-drikusa-dyu-plessi.html?rand=19907
