Why Alex Pereira Can’t Afford to Avoid Khamzat Chimaev Any Longer – Explained By UFC Veteran
UFC veteran Chael Sonnen has given his thoughts on Alex Pereira possibly fighting Khamzat Chimaev at some point in the future.
Right now, Alex Pereira and Khamzat Chimaev are both champions in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Pereira is a two-time champ at light heavyweight, whereas Chimaev is finally running the show at middleweight. As many of us know, ‘Borz’ has made no secret of the fact that he wants to chase a second world title – and Pereira – sooner rather than later.
Of course, given that Chimaev has only just won the title, there’s a good chance that he will have to fend off a few challengers before he is truly able to ascend to the point where challenging for a second world championship makes sense.
In a recent video, Chael Sonnen gave his thoughts on Alex Pereira’s current position, as well as Khamzat’s.
Chael Sonnen’s view on Alex Pereira vs Khamzat Chimaev
“Chimaev has been looking for Pereira since Pereira was a 205-pounder. He’s not kidding. Chimaev has been calling out Pereira for a long time, and the history of the sport tends to favor the better grappler over the better striker.”
“We gotta give Alex Pereira credit for calling out anybody. He called out Tom Aspinall for UFC 300. He’s not kidding. He’s even calling out Jon Jones right now. Jon Jones understands that rule, which is why he’s not refusing the call out.”
“Chimaev hasn’t cleaned out the division yet. He hasn’t fought Israel Adesanya, the king of middleweight. It’s compelling to see what’s next, but is it really necessary that a guy clean out the division before you consider him a legit threat? I’m seeing that less and less.”
“I’m this close to saying that Alex Pereira is the GOAT. One win away, not just from me saying it, but from you no longer having an opinion. It will be the reality.”
“What do we do about this Chimaev problem? He’s not just some punk with a big mouth; he’s the undefeated champion running his mouth for two years over two weight classes. That genuinely needs answered.”
