The rise of Swedish-Russian mixed martial artist Khamzat Chimaev has been truly spectacular. He rose up from being an unranked welterweight/middleweight contender to a top-ranked fighter. Now, he is just a few fights away from cementing his name as the number 1 contender in the 170lbs division and it looks like ‘The Wolf’ is ready to dig his claws into someone again.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
In his last outing, Chimaev proved his naysayers wrong by climbing the ranks in just 4 brief fights. A key victory over former title challenger, Gilbert Burns has put him in a prominent position to challenge welterweight champion Kamaru Usman. On the flip side, Conor McGregor is still recuperating from the injuries that he sustained last year.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
But, his recent Twitter activity suggests that Chimaev doesn’t want to wait and is looking to step back soon. ‘The Wolf’ took aim at a fellow welterweight contender, Belal ‘Bully’ Muhammad. The duo traded tweets back and forth, but it was Chimaev who doubled down on the callout by naming the place and the month.
October Abu Dhabi 👊🏼💥💯
— Khamzat Chimaev (@KChimaev) June 9, 2022
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
This could prove to be an interesting and stylistic match-up as both men excel at their job and are highly ranked in UFC. However, Muhammad doesn’t have the same hype behind him as the fan-favorite Swedish fighter. But he would indeed stand to gain a lot by beating Chimaev in this match-up.
Will UFC follow through with the latest call out of Khamzat Chimaev?
UFC president Dana White has stated on multiple occasions that finding an opponent for Chimaev isn’t easy. It seems like that statement has become a thing of the past, as the number 3 ranked welterweight contender is being called out by fellow contenders. The welterweight champion is slated to face Leon Edwards upon his return.
Watch this story: Five Potential Opponents for Khamzat Chimaev After a Hard-Fought Win Over Gilbert Burns
This will potentially leave the division-wide open for contenders to fight each other and claim the number 1 spot. Chimaev needs to build a winning streak of his own to clear his name, as the next title challenger. It doesn’t seem like Colby Covington will make his return to the octagon anytime soon, which leaves him with limited options. Muhammad, ranked number 5th in the division, seems like a great choice.
Who do you wish to see ‘The Wolf’ go up against next? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Essentially Sports
