Henry Cejudo Says Khamzat Chimaev Can’t Fight Kamaru Usman The Way He Did Against Gilbert Burns

Henry Cejudo also wants to see Khamzat Chimaev move up to middleweight.

Chimaev Scary
(via @ufc - Instagram)

Henry Cejudo believes Khamzat Chimaev has some things to work on before he goes after the welterweight king.

Chimaev went one-on-one with Gilbert Burns on the main card of UFC 273. Going into the fight, many expected either Chimaev to dominate with his grappling or Burns to derail the hype train. What we got was a three-round banger that won’t soon be forgotten. Ultimately, it was Chimaev who emerged victorious via unanimous decision.

Khamzat Chimaev vs. Kamaru Usman? Not So Fast

While Khamzat Chimaev is riding high following his most gutsy performance yet, Henry Cejudo doesn’t think “Borz” should be rushed. During an episode of The Triple C & Schmo Show, Cejudo said Chimaev can’t beat UFC Welterweight Champion Kamaru Usman with the same strategy he used against Burns (h/t BJPenn.com).

“That was the right call but if Chimaev goes out there and fights ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ like that, he’s in big trouble, man. We saw him kind of become human here.

“Chimaev needed this humble pie. He thinks he can walk on water a little too much, and that’s probably our fault, because we kind of put him on a pedestal when he really hasn’t proven anything. Once he fought a top contender a lot of people gave that fight to Gilbert Burns. He could have lost [the fight].

“I almost feel like he’s too big for 170.

“He’s too big. Yeah, you can make the weight, but you’re barely able to make the weight where it really affects you. I think Chimaev at 185 pounds is a more dangerous Chimaev than 170 pounds.”

What’s next for Chimaev will be interesting. Before Chimaev’s bout with Burns, UFC President Dana White expressed intrigue in booking him against Colby Covington. Time will tell if that’s the direction the UFC will go in next.

Published on April 12, 2022 at 10:01 am
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