Khamzat Chimaev Will Leave the Welterweight Division Soon

Brush Stroke By: David Smith

[{"selector":"#anim-e5de69fa-5fef-4a27-8b4f-f4751b4d2ecb [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-10.749999910687187%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f7564f6a-9373-49bb-a779-84579794caa4","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Khamzat Chimaev is likely one fight away from fighting for the UFC welterweight champion. He takes on Kevin Holland at UFC 279 in an exciting co-main event.

[{"selector":"#anim-4e768577-efa6-4dc1-808b-c0481c557298 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(-18.54148218452174%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-6f3e88fb-e6f1-456e-8f36-01e52a4bea69","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-41e40bba-a676-47fa-97a0-01f44fa18d6a","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-122.37762%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-3f05abcb-f6eb-42cb-a5ed-005007114076","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c6f91d4f-3ab0-41aa-8cc3-d905c3c0a887","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-73.9628%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Majority of the fans believe Khamzat Chimaev is going to win the fight at UFC 279 and fight the winner of Kamaru Usman vs Leon Edwards 3 next.

[{"selector":"#anim-0abe749f-62a5-42fd-af90-82882918f46e [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(20.295918424350045%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-6ef72f60-54b5-4a29-9499-f8f2068fc192","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-b94c8e29-8a41-4023-8da3-1a11fdeb2dc4","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-147.27273%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-b4d5eb44-4dde-4840-931b-c1c20b09c842","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":900,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-2b0e2fa0-cef0-4aff-abc5-241891c9c962","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c9923c4a-64ed-4b3d-b813-b07b7ef6b41d","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-122.02797%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] But, what happens if Chimaev wins the welterweight title? Will he defend the title against contenders such as Gilbert Burns and Colby Covington?

[{"selector":"#anim-ebb1eee0-ddbe-48d1-82c3-ff82e5f9deae [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(-16.714285761229434%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d0bed576-0c28-419e-921a-3f465384a05b","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-2c3e9396-050a-4261-aba8-8d2fd26eb4f0","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-122.37762%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-dc74f076-c533-4db6-9fb7-9b5e14531190","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-3b123055-5e88-4523-a87c-7ad94e467a01","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-73.9628%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Well, as per his coach Andreas Michael, Khamzat Chimaev will move upto middleweight division after a title fight at welterweight.

[{"selector":"#anim-d471adbf-46f9-4c7c-b2c0-752c29078927 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-59.92931538687768%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-e7d606ff-9d6b-4016-9f71-5bed50b64f70","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] In a recent interview with ESPN MMA, Coach Andreas said "I think (we’re) so close to the title fight right now. Let him get that chance and then go up to middleweight and we take it from there"

[{"selector":"#anim-2dc279bf-93e1-4b0c-9769-c77fb0baeac6 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(-17.63096297010327%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a78ea812-1919-41c3-8ff2-4280b5aec445","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-341cce49-c01f-4d47-8aa2-2a6f77a83b13","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-147.27273%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d2871c88-fcb1-41dd-a4a6-ccf4863b5715","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":900,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-cf43cb9e-1cc3-42d3-a2df-9f6a81f3aef8","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-1c899480-09d2-49a0-8d90-48677428b3ba","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-121.67832%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Khamzat Chimaev already has two wins in the UFC middleweight division including an 18 seconds KO over Gerald Meerschaert.

[{"selector":"#anim-5a076258-3d1e-4e4a-a2df-05ed64869a53 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-66.35416657735387%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-772efc2a-b526-424c-87f0-26a6d17b476e","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] And he is certainly a difficult matchup for the current middleweight champion, Israel Adesanya because of his wrestling pedigree.

[{"selector":"#anim-1efb7660-c78e-4097-aea8-63b6669dbd4b [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(17.382639547989147%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-834d8ee9-7018-44fa-9cf7-89db10486b70","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-9a517152-62e2-4d61-adfc-470fa5ecbc75","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-122.37762%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c83bbb99-b27e-4d8d-8110-b7959f6ea30e","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-2588aeca-fcb6-4d18-af98-359e69469fea","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-73.9628%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] However, against fighters such as Robert Whittaker and Marvin Vettori, who are tough and have good wrestling, Chimaev will struggle.

[{"selector":"#anim-be5ecb1b-7bd4-48df-948b-a58f87e846f3 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(-11.091779521097848%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-0f2763b0-7776-445a-8bc8-8556681e7b45","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ae39c196-2114-4b77-adc9-78992c1a132d","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-122.37762%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f8e9beab-39f8-4d3f-b8a2-e096f41b811d","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f67d9dba-592e-4fa5-8c5a-d591de29f87a","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-73.9628%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Adesanya takes on Alex Pereira in his next title fight and we might even have a new champion at 185 before Chimaev moves up.

Khamzat Chimaev Will Leave the Welterweight Division Soon

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