Khamzat Chimaev’s commanding performance at UFC 319 on August 16, 2025, has redefined the middleweight division. The Chechen fighter, now 15-0, won the UFC middleweight title in Chicago with a unanimous decision (50-44) over Dricus Du Plessis, controlling the fight for over 21 minutes with 12 takedowns and 529 strikes. Firas Zahabi, renowned coach of Georges St-Pierre, declared Chimaev the greatest middleweight ever, ranking him above legends like Anderson Silva.
Zahabi’s Bold Praise
On his Tristar Gym YouTube channel, Zahabi didn’t hold back.
“Khamzat is the greatest middleweight ever,” he said. “He is the greatest middleweight ever. He just won the title. How could you say, I say he’s the greatest middleweight ever? Because I would put him against anybody in the middleweight division, and I would pick Khamzat any day. (Israel) Adesanya, (Dricus Du Plessis), Anderson Silva in his prime – forget about it. None of them can hold a candle to Khamzat.”
He added, “He takes them all down, he mauls each one of them. He’s the Khabib of the middleweight division. He would beat every single middleweight, including (Alex) Pereira very easily. If Pereira beats (Magomed) Ankalaev, and Khamzat goes to 205, I’ll tell you right now my pick: Khamzat beats Pereira quite comfortably whether he finishes him or not. He’ll do five rounds on top because you can’t get tired in good positions.”
Zahabi admitted he misread the fight:
“I didn’t think it was going to be one sided as such,” he said. “I thought Khamzat is going to do better because he doesn’t have to do the weight cut – it’s going to be at 185. I thought he was killing himself to make 170. That was a major problem for why he had gas issues. I thought Dricus would escape to his feet more often, and he would be able to give far more resistance on the ground. He wasn’t. He looked like a blue belt on the ground. Khamzat is too experienced, far more than I estimated, and it made it a blowout – complete shutout.”
Not everyone shares Zahabi’s view. Paulo Costa called Chimaev’s UFC 319 performance “boring,” warning it could harm the sport. Anthony Hernandez echoed the sentiment, seeking more action. Michael Bisping, however, predicted a long reign, saying, “I don’t think we’ve ever seen a dominant wrestler like Khamzat Chimaev in the middleweight division.” Chimaev’s next likely opponent is the winner of Nassourdine Imavov vs. Caio Borralho at UFC Paris on September 6, 2025.
