Khamzat Chimaev may have outgrown middleweight division, says former opponent

UFC legend Kamaru Usman has argued that there’s a chance Khamzat Chimaev has outgrown the middleweight division.

Right now, Khamzat Chimaev is sat at the top of the middleweight division as the champion following his win over Dricus du Plessis. His future, however, isn’t quite as certain, with many fans speculating that he’s going to shift up to light heavyweight – which is something that ‘Borz’ himself has heavily teased.

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Chimaev clearly wants to chase history and try to become a two-weight world champion. He also clearly has a problem with Alex Pereira, who is the reigning UFC light heavyweight champion, with ‘Poatan’ also being interested in a change by going to heavyweight.

In a recent episode of his podcast, Chimaev’s former foe Kamaru Usman had the following to say on the matter.

Usman’s view on Chimaev

“For Khamzat Chimaev to continue to call him out (Alex Pereira), I think Khamzat potentially has outgrown the weight class again to where now he’s like, ‘Let me go to a new division where I can make the weight and I can capture that,'” Usman said on his “Pound 4 Pound” podcast with Henry Cejudo. “There’s all types of rumors and things coming out saying he’s 230 pounds, 225, whatever. Khamzat is a big guy. Khamzat has always been a big guy. The fact that Khamzat was making 170 is just as ridiculous as Anthony Johnson when he was making 170.

“But Anthony Johnson, remember, was making that, moved up, fought at ’85 I think maybe one time, and I think even missed weight there after moving up, then settled at 205 pounds. So, I think Khamzat Chimaev might potentially be in that same ballpark which is potentially why he’s asking for ‘Poatan.’ And if that’s the case, I understand it. Now it makes sense. If you’ve outgrown the weight class, it makes sense. Why kill myself to get down there when I just can’t make the weight anymore.”

Quotes via MMA Junkie

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