“Give him 1 round fights or it's over” - Fans doubt Khamzat Chimaev’s potential over lackluster performance against Kamaru Usman

The outcome of the Khamzat Chimaev vs. Kamaru Usman matchup from UFC 294 was one that, despite being a win in 'Borz's' favor, did little to win over MMA fans. Not only did Chimaev face a middleweight debutant in Usman, but struggled to defeat a foe who came into the bout on short-notice.

Despite managing to outwrestle Usman in the first round, which was arguably a 10-8 in Chimaev's favor, he faded very quickly and lost the majority of the pair's striking exchanges. This has caused countless fans to reevaluate the Chechen phenom's potential as a fighter.

One fan fully described the underwhelming nature of his win over Usman, saying:

"36 year old Kamaru in a new weight class on 10 days notice with knees made of pop rocks took that man to a draw"

Meanwhile, another fan brought up 'Borz's' close fight with Gilbert Burns, which some observers felt he had lost:

"I’ve been saying this since Burns fraud checked him"

One comment even went as far as describing Chimaev as a one-round fighter due to his questionable cardio:

"Give Khamzat 1 round fights or it’s over"

Some even outright labeled him a fraud:

"Fraud"

A collage of fan reactions can be seen below:

Fan reactions to Khamzat Chimaev's underwhelming performance against Kamaru Usman

In the past, Chimaev was regarded as a potential future champion. He is extraordinarily powerful, exceptionally strong, has high-level wrestling skills, the ability to shoot for extremely fast takedowns and competent striking.

However, his subpar defensive skills, lacking cardio and underwhelming performance against the only two truly top-level opponents he has ever faced -Burns and Usman - have left many fans reconsidering whether he is as good as many believed him to be.

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Khamzat Chimaev's welterweight blunder

Two years ago, Khamzat Chimaev was scheduled to face Nate Diaz at UFC 279 in what was clearly set up as a showcase for the unbeaten Chechen. Unfortunately, Chimaev found himself at the center of a disaster when he weighed in seven and a half pounds over the welterweight limit.

This caused the UFC to scrap his bout with Diaz, which was the event headliner. Instead, 'Borz' faced Kevin Holland, who took the fight on short-notice. While Chimaev won the fight, submitting Holland in round one, the damage done to his reputation was permanent.