Khamzat Chimaev emerging as a betting favorite to defeat ex-UFC champion Kamaru Usman this year
Undefeated welterweight contender, Khamzat Chimaev has emerged as quite the decent betting favorite to compile misery on former division champion, Kamaru Usman – and hand the Nigerian a third straight Octagon defeat.
Chimaev, who boasts an undefeated 12-0 professional record, has been linked with a return to the Octagon at UFC 294 in October on ‘Fight Island’ in Abu Dhabi, UAE – as part of the organization’s return to the Middle East for this year.
As for Usman, the Auchi native is targeting a quickfire return to the Octagon following a second career loss to division kingpin, Leon Edwards in the main event of UFC 286 back in March in London, England – dropping a close, majority decision defeat to the hometown product.
Khamzat Chimaev opening as betting favorite over Kamaru Usman
However, despite his calls for a timely comeback to the Octagon in a bid to snap a two-fight losing skid, former pound-for-pound number one fighter, Usman has opened as a betting underdog (+135) to defeat the unbeaten, Khamzat Chimaev – who opens as a resounding (-155) favorite.
A potential roadblock to a fight between Khamzat Chimaev and Kamaru Usman comes in the form of an apparent leap to middleweight for the former, with Usman urged to pursue a similar move by UFC leader, Dana White – who has shot down a suggested catchweight contest between the pair.
“I don’t do catchweights – don’t do it,” Dana White said during a recent media scrum following UFC Vegas 73 over the course of last weekend in Las Vegas, Nevada. “So, you know how Khamzat (Chimaev) is. If you talk sh*t to Khamzat, he’s going to go right at it with you and doesn’t care who he fights and all that stuff. I don’t know. Obviously, we’ve been making a lot of announcements lately, we haven’t made that announcement yet because we don’t have the fight done yet, but, we’re working on stuff for Khamzat.”
Struggling with weight cutting issues two of his three most recent walks at the welterweight limit, AllStars MMA staple, Khamzat Chimaev failed to ship a stunning seven and a half pounds for a scheduled UFC 279 main event with promotional alum, Nate Diaz back in September.
Instead facing Californian striker, Kevin Holland in an impromptu catchweight matchup in a demoted co-main event fight on the pay-per-view card, Khamzat Chimaev improved to 12-0 with a devastating first round D’Arce choke submission success at the T-Mobile Arena.
A career welterweight, Usman had landed the division’s undisputed crown in a one-sided judging win over Tyron Woodley back in March 2019, before landing consecutive successful title defenses against Colby Covington and Jorge Masvidal – both twice, as well as common-foe and former training partner, Gilbert Burns.
Furthermore, boasting a promotional-perfect Octagon record prior to his stunning back-to-back defeats to Edwards, Usman captured The Utlimate Fighter 21 welterweight crown with a submission success over Hayder Hassan back in 2015.
