Khamzat Chimaev is eagerly anticipating updates regarding his next fight.
As the UFC gears up for its upcoming UFC 294 pay-per-view in Abu Dhabi this fall, Chimaev, who gained significant recognition after his impressive performances at the "Fight Island" events in 2020, appears to be a strong candidate for the event.
Amidst his training in Abu Dhabi, Chimaev has a hopeful outlook, believing that the UFC intends to schedule him for the highly anticipated Oct. 21 PPV, ideally pitting him against former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman.
“UFC told us we have a fight in Abu Dhabi, so that’s what I’m waiting for,” Chimaev said on his YouTube channel. “I’m already here in Dubai, living here, training camp, everything is good, so I’ve been in shape a long time ago. I’ve been in Thailand training camp, I’ve been here training camp, I’ve been in Sweden training, so just waiting for the opponent and the contract, so we’ll see what’s going to happen.
“Usman wants to fight. I’ll make his last fight. He wants money, he knows where the money is. Everyone knows the money. Now I’m going to fight this guy in Abu Dhabi and smash his face, finish him, then they have to give me that title shot.”
After experiencing consecutive losses in welterweight title fights against Leon Edwards, Kamaru Usman finds himself in an unfamiliar position of being on a losing streak for the first time in his career. The accomplished champion has remained tight-lipped about his future endeavors, leaving fans curious about his next move.
Meanwhile, Khamzat Chimaev, who last triumphed over Kevin Holland at UFC 279 in September, is eagerly awaiting his return to the octagon. With a strong belief in his drawing power, Chimaev anticipates a multitude of potential opponents when the UFC extends an invitation, confident that he will be a sought-after competitor.
“I’m the biggest name without the belt, so when you fight with me it’s more money, more fans,” Chimaev said. “When I fight, everyone is waiting for my fights. When I fought with Gilbert [Burns], we weren’t the main event, everyone was waiting for us.
“Even Cristiano Ronaldo, a famous guy, a legend from football, a lot of guys are asking me when am I going to fight, when I smash somebody? This is the fight business, everybody has to fight and make money. If you don’t sell tickets, you don’t make money.”
If Chimaev is to earn his first UFC title shot, a possibility at welterweight or middleweight given that he has won fights in both divisions, he sees Usman as a logical option to get him closer to the championship opportunity that he’s been chasing for the past few years.
“I want to say to Usman,” Chimaev said. “I am ready, just sign the contract. Let’s fight. Let’s make money. You want the money, you want the money fight, let’s go. I’m going to squeeze your head off. [Weight class] it doesn’t matter, let’s go, let’s fight. The weight classes, if you feel the best, you don’t need to speak about weight class. I feel the best, for me it doesn’t matter, I cut on fight night to [170] or [185], all weight classes. I’m the king.”