Henry Cejudo Explains Why Khamzat Chimaev “Easily” Beats Israel Adesanya

Is Israel Adesanya a cakewalk for Khamzat Chimaev? Henry Cejudo thinks so.

Israel Adesanya Khamzat Chimaev
(via Instagram)

Former two-division UFC champion Henry Cejudo thinks Khamzat Chimaev has the ingredients to dethrone Israel Adesanya.

Chimaev currently competes in the welterweight division but he has also fought at 185 pounds. In fact, his 17-second knockout victory over Gerald Meerschaert back in Sept. 2020 was contested at middleweight. 

The hype train is at full speed for Chimaev, who has already called out elite fighters such as UFC Welterweight Champion Kamaru Usman and UFC Middleweight Champion Israel Adesanya.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CZmGQoZF-_P/

Easy Money For Chimaev?

Henry Cejudo recently spoke to The Schmo and gave a bold prediction on how a matchup between Khamzat Chimaev and Israel Adesanya would play out (h/t MMAJunkie.com).

“The guy that will stop (Adesanya) is actually a (170) pounder, and his name is Khamzat Chimaev.  I believe Chimaev is just a whole other animal, dude. His wrestling, his confidence. I mean, this dude – from what I’ve heard from a lot of people, this dude literally trains like nobody has ever seen before. When you’re a wrestler, and you’re like that, and he’s driven, I don’t think there’s nobody on the planet … I can see him easily beating Israel Adesanya.”

He continued, “This is the reason why: Because he can take him down, and he has that Khabib (Nurmagomedov) control.”

Adesanya has demonstrated solid takedown defense over the past few years. While he has been taken down, he usually pops back up to his feet quickly and separates. The only time he was truly controlled on the ground is when he fought a much bigger Jan Blachowicz in a light heavyweight title fight.

Still, many have praised Chimaev’s wrestling and believe it’s world-class. Some even feel his grappling is on the level of Khabib Nurmagomedov.

Published on February 15, 2022 at 1:24 pm
Stay up-to-date with the latest MMA news, rumors, and updates by following the RED Monster on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram. Also, don't forget to add MiddleEasy to your Google News feed Follow us on Google News for even more coverage.

Related

Leave a Comment