Khamzat Chimaev Reveals His Hardest Fight: The One Fighter Who Pushed Him More Than Anyone in His UFC Tenure
Unbeaten middleweight star, Khamzat Chimaev has revealed which opponent has pushed him to his absolute limit during his roughshod run in the UFC — claiming a former champion as the toughest foe he’s faced so far.
Chimaev, who had amassed a stunning fourteen straight victories in his unbeaten professional career, most recently earned his spot in the middleweight division’s top-three.
Most recently co-headlining UFC 308 back in October, Chechen contender, Chimaev took home a dominant opening round face crank submission win over former undisputed champion, Robert Whittaker.
And prior to that, Khamzat Chimaev featured in a short-notice clash with former welterweight kingpin, Kamaru Usman, narrowly emerging with a continuous majority decision win the year prior.
Khamzat Chimaev reveals toughest foe during UFC run
Expected to make his return in a title fight later this year opposite the incumbent, Dricus du Plessis, Chimaev has handed Usman the title of being the stiffest test he has faced in his brief Octagon tenure so far.
The hardest opponent of my career? I’d say Kamaru Usman,” Chimaev told AZAMAT CHEF during a recent interview. “He defended well against my wrestling, his wrestling is pretty good.
“He defended well against grappling, not even wrestling, he didn’t give me his neck,” Khamzat Chimaev continued. “I was trying to choke him for five minutes, but he defended very well.”
Emerging with a majority judging win over the Auchi native, Chimaev would be forced to the third round, however — narrowly emerging with his unbeaten record intact.
And while expected to face off with du Plessis in his return, Chimaev has been warned by a close friend and fellow unbeaten Octagon challenger, Caio Borralho of his emergence, with the Brazilian claiming if their pitted together, he can topple him.
“I think I prefer to face Dricus (du Plessis) [for the title] because, you know — like Khamzat (Chimaev) is a hell of a competitor and all that,” Caio Borralho explained. “But actually I know I can beat him too, but he’s a kind of a friend of mine, you know, not that close friend, because we train together. I helped him with his fight against Nate Diaz.”
