Khamzat Chimaev is just days away from the biggest fight of his career against one-time title challenger Gilbert Burns at UFC 273, but in his mind, the victory has already been secured and he’s just biding his time until officially claiming the welterweight title.
With an impeccable record, including four victories in the UFC — all of them by first- or seconds-round stoppage — Chimaev believes that Kamaru Usman has done everything to avoid him.
” I’m already the champion,” Chimaev stated during UFC 273 media conference. He doesn’t want me to fight him. The surgery is completed and he then wants to box somewhere. It’s possible that he can repair his arm, then go to the boxing. The other guy didn’t face anyone in the top 10..
“They always find some excuse. “I am the champion.” People know that.”
Chimaev’s tirade aimed at Usman didn’t stop there, especially when the conversation turned towards the title as he seeks to beat Burns on Saturday night and become the No. 1 contender.
Leon Edwards was promised the next chance at welterweight glory, but Chimaev is not interested in him facing Usman.
“They have to give me that title,” Chimaev said. I want to crush everyone. If I can smash all of them, they have to award me this title. I wonder who will be the next. I don’t care.
“If that fight [between Usman and Edwards]– [does] someone cares about that fight? I don’t think so. Dana White would like to fight that. Leon Edwards is a man nobody recognizes. Usman knows him as well. That guy is a nightmare to behold. Everyone wants me to be there, smashing them all. If they give me both guys the same night, I’m going to smash them both.”
Prior to his recent win over Li Jingliang, which was just his second fight in the UFC at 170 pounds, Chimaev had been matched up several times with Edwards but injuries and COVID-19 axed every attempt at that bout ever happening.
Chimaev clearly has moved past his desire to fight Edwards, and doesn’t plan on rematching the fight.
“He almost lost his last fight to Nate Diaz, that skinny guy,” Chimaev said. He was tired after five rounds. If he gets tired against Diaz, what am I going to do with this guy? He’s going to get tired after the first minute. I’m going to knock him out. This guy is not my level. This guy .”
is not for me.
Truth is told that Chimaev doesn’t think there will be much interest watching him fight Usman, but that fight will give him the chance to win a UFC championship.
While he is still at the welterweight, Chimaev understands that a more interesting fight would have him returning to 185 weights to face another champion.
” People want to see [Israel Adesanya] me,” Chimaev stated. Nobody knows [Kamaru Usman].. He’s old. Izzy, who is younger and more vibrant than me, seems to want me. He has already defeated everyone at [middleweight].. He’s like me. He wants to fight everyone. I would like to fight everyone .”
Leaving aside Adesanya, Chimaev will continue to focus on the welterweight division for now. However, a victory at UFC 273 would still place him in an uncertain position should that promotion choose to go ahead with Usman. Edwards.
Rather than take time off, Chimaev might need to face a different opponent to stay active.
One name that would likely stand out ahead of all the others for possible opposition would be ex-interim UFC welterweight champion Colby Covington, who is fresh off a win over Jorge Masvidal in March.
Covington has insulted Chimaev whenever his name gets mentioned, which makes “Borz” plenty interested in the fight, although he doesn’t think it will ever actually get booked.
“I will be happy if they do that [fight with Colby Covington] but I don’t think so,” Chimaev said. “That guy wants to fight me. He’s going to go to the cops. Call the police and he’ll go to the cops. Dana White is going to be sent to jail for that fight.
“He speaks too often in media, and when he meets the person face-to-face, it’s time to call the police. He’s not that guy. To me, if I’m honest, the UFC has to kick him out. He’s a b****.”
With so much to talk about Usman and Edwards, how does Chimaev feel about Edwards?
Well, it turned out that he isn’t very concerned about Burns.
” What has he done? Chimaev asked about Burns. He loses when it is about Usman. He starts to weep when he loses. What’s the name of this old man he beat? Demian Maia. Almost 40 years old. He is who?
“I will fight [middleweight] or [welterweight] and he comes up from [lightweight] and he starts to cry when he loses his fight. He can’t do nothing to me. I’m going to smash that guy.”
