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Kamaru Usman is ready for his short-notice UFC 294 fight against Khamzat Chimaev. Chimaev was supposed to face Paulo Costa on October 21 in Abu Dhabi.
Costa’s elbow surgery ruined those plans. The silver lining for fight fans is that a more than worthy opponent has stepped in, former UFC welterweight champion Usman. Kamaru Usman recently talked to TMZ Sports and confessed that he thinks Khamzat Chimaev is a gifted athlete. However, “The Nigerian Nightmare” trusts in his own skills.
“He’s very talented. He’s strong, he’s big. He’s quick, he can wrestle, he can grapple, he can strike. He has it all,” Kamaru said, “But so do I.”
Usman then dismissed the idea that Chimaev is unstoppable.
“We’re all human beings at the end of the day,” Usman said. “Everyone feels invincible until someone bursts that bubble.”
Usman has an opportunity to win UFC gold in another weight class if he defeats Chimaev to earn a 185-pound title shot, but he isn’t looking past UFC 294.
“It’s obvious,” Kamaru said. “I have a huge obstacle in front of me that I need to overcome. We’ll deal with that first and then we’ll think about what’s next.”
The middleweight title scene has become more unpredictable now that Israel Adesanya is taking a break. No matter who wins the Usman vs Chimaev fight, UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland will face a tough test. Usman and Strickland met in the Octagon in 2017. Usman won that fight by unanimous decision."