As the current hottest prospect in the UFC, not too many fighters are calling out Khamzat Chimaev. And, for good reason. Chimaev has three finish victories in three months, with three performance bonuses to match. Of course, fans all aboard the hype train and UFC President Dana White is buying into Khamzat mania. For ranked opponents, Khmzat is “high risk, low reward.” But, for Alex Oliveira, he made it clear that he would fight Khamzat Chimaev with no problems.
Continuing to Impress
Chimaev continues to impress throughout the course of his young career. In just three fights, Khamzat has 196 strikes landed, 3 finishes, and has only been struck twice. Fans of the sport wondered if Chimaev was a legitimate contender, or if he was a hype train that the sport always seems to find. Before anyone could make up their mind, a lighting strike of a right hand sent Gerald Meerschaert to the canvas.
“Cowboy” Oliveira on Fighting Khamzat Chimaev
However, “Cowboy” Oliveira isn’t afraid of the challenge. Speaking to MMA Junkie, he expressed his desire to fight Khamzat in the UFC welterweight division.
“I’ll take the fight no one else wants. Chimaev, I’m ready for a fight at welterweight right now. I see you picking and choosing opponents. I’m right here,” interpreted Alex Davis for Oliveira. “I’m itching to fight Chimaev. If you want to pick and choose opponents, I’ll fight you.”
Making the Fight
“Cowboy” Oliveira is currently unranked in the welterweight division. However, he is known as a crowd favorite who always pushes the pace which leads to exciting fights. Now, it’ll just be up to two things; Khamzat accepting the bout, and the UFC making it happen.
The organization is keen on having Chimaev face a ranked opponent. However, while names like “Wonderboy” Thompson are being thrown around, Stephen seems to want to fight higher ranked competition.
If the fight between Khamzat and Cowboy happens though, expect a banger.
