Daniel Cormier has detailed what could be next for Khamzat Chimaev.
Chimaev has wreaked havoc in the UFC since debuting in July 2020. ‘Borz’ has won all six of his UFC fights, including five inside the distance. The 28-year-old continued his dominance in 2022 with a fight-of-the-year contender against Gilbert Burns and a first-round submission against Kevin Holland.
During a video on his YouTube channel, Cormier had this to say about fighters allegedly ducking Chimaev:
“Recently [Chimaev] went so far as to say he’s been offered four different opponents, in four different countries, and nobody wants to fight him, so he called them all b****es…”
‘DC’ tried to show an example by searching Chimaev’s name on Twitter to see who wants to fight him. He responded to the results by saying:
“Kevin Lee’s like, I’ll fight him next. If Kevin Lee is the first name that pops up when Chimaev says he wants to fight, it’s crazy because there are a number of guys in the UFC right now at welterweight and middleweight that aren’t speaking up.”
Kevin Lee isn’t signed to the UFC, making him an unlikely opponent for Chimaev. Cormier decided to break down the welterweight and middleweight divisions to determine possible opponents for ‘Borz.’
Leon Edwards
Kamaru Usman was expected to get an immediate rematch against Leon Ewards, but lingering injuries could keep the former champion on the shelf. Edwards needs to defend the welterweight title at UFC 286 in London, so the promotion might give Chimaev the championship opportunity. Daniel Cormier had this to say:
“The champion makes sense if he’s not fighting Kamaru Usman because Belal Muhammad has the stronger resume, but does Belal Muhammad have the star power that Khamzat Chimaev possesses? I don’t think that was a fight offered to him.”
Belal Muhammad
Belal Muhammad made a statement by taking out Sean Brady in his last fight. The number four-ranked welterweight is ready to earn a title shot if he’s not awarded one next. Therefore, Chimaev vs. Muhammad could be a solid option to solidify a number one contender. Cormier believes ‘Remember the Name’ might not want to fight ‘Borz’:
“I bet he was one of the guys that they called, and prior, he said he would fight him. I bet Belal Muhammad now the thinking is a little different… If that’s the case [Usman not fighting Edwards next], he’d be smart to wait [for a title shot] because there’s a lot of risk in fighting Khamzat Chimaev.”
Daniel Cormier believes Khamzat Chimaev should fight Colby Covington
Colby Covington last fought in March 2022, winning a unanimous decision against Jorge Masvidal. Unless ‘Chaos’ secures a title shot during Usman’s absence, he will likely need another win to compete for the welterweight crown. Chimaev could be the perfect opponent for Covington to separate himself from the rest. Cormier advocated for the potential welterweight showdown by saying:
“Colby Covington. That’s the fight. I’ve always long thought that this was the fight. I think if he fights Colby Covington, it would show us where he truly stands in the welterweight division…”
There is also a possibility Chimaev will move up to middleweight after missing the welterweight limit drastically at UFC 279. Cormier believes Robert Whittaker, Marvin Vettori, and Paulo Costa are all possible opponents at 185 pounds. Only time will tell what’s next for ‘Borz.’
