- Nick Maximov is down to compete against Khamzat Chimaev if given the opportunity
- Maximov predicted a finish in his next fight against Andre Petroski
Nate Diaz teammate Nick Maximov has been slowly gaining recognition in the world of MMA. His star began to blossom during Nate’s interview with TMZ Sports last December. Maximov also foresees a finish in his upcoming outing against Andre Petroski.
Nick Maximov “down to fight” Khamzat Chimaev
Debuting in July of 2020, Khamzat Chimaev grabbed the record for the fastest turnaround victory when he won his second bout in the UFC just ten days separated from his first one. Chimaev looked unstoppable in his first four fights in the promotion and managed to maintain his 100 percent finish rate going into his contest with former title challenger Gilbert Burns.
As the hottest property in the promotion, Chimaev has seen his celebrity skyrocket to fame after defeating Burns. In an interview with TMZ Sports in December 2021, Nate Diaz was asked about fighting the undefeated Chechen.
Diaz deflected the question by pointing to his teammate, Nick Maximov, and suggested Chimaev could fight him. Maximov was caught off guard with his response and nodded along with a “yeah.”
During the media day for UFC on ESPN 36, the Nick Diaz academy protege expanded on his comments regarding ‘Borz’.
“I’m down to fight Khamzat. I’m for real about that,”Maximov said. “I think they just caught me … Nate was still talking, and I was just looking at him and for some reason the camera just pointed at me, and I was like, ‘What the f*ck.’ But it happens, I guess.
“But I’m down to fight that fool. I don’t know why everyone is tripping so hard. I mean, he’s a good fighter, (but) everyone in the UFC is good, though. I’m down with it.” (h/t MMA Junkie)
Maximov predicts a finish
Going undefeated in eight professional MMA fights so far, Nick Maximov is slated to take on Andre Petroski this May 14. The undefeated prospect made his way into the UFC ranks through Dana White’s Contender Series in November 2020. With two fights under the banner, Maximov is looking to get his first finish in the UFC against Petroski.
“I think it’s a finish,” Maximov said. “I think it’s a UFC fighter vs. a regional fighter. He was trying to dog the people that I fought, and all of them have winning records, and the two dudes he’s fought in the UFC aren’t even here no more.
“And before that, he was still fighting people with negative records and losing to people with negative records. So I’m like, ‘ How are you trying to diss me when I’m fighting the top prospects?’ I just think he’s kind of delusional, and I think it’s going to show.”
Petroski has a solid collegiate wrestling background and claims to be the best wrestler in the division. Although he stated that he picked Maximov specifically, the BJJ expert refutes those comments.
