"He is yet to fight a middleweight" - Khamzat Chimaev called out by former UFC title challenger

Khamzat Chimaev (pictured) after defeating Kamaru Usman at UFC 294 [Photo Courtesy @khamzat_chimaev on Instagram]
Khamzat Chimaev (pictured) after defeating Kamaru Usman at UFC 294 [Photo Courtesy @khamzat_chimaev on Instagram]

Khamzat Chimaev has been advocating for the next middleweight title shot but may find himself in a no. 1 contender fight after receiving another callout.

In his own pursuit of the next title fight with new champion Dricus du Plessis, Jared Cannonier called for a fight with Chimaev to officially welcome 'Borz' into the division. In an interview with The Schmo, Cannonier claimed he had just one gripe on the hype Chimaev receives as a potential middleweight contender:

"Yes, everybody is talking about Khamzat but he has yet to fight a middleweight. That's my only qualm with it. The guy is a top-level fighter, he's definitely shown that in the UFC. He seems to be eager to fight people, so if they don't give me the champ when I come back, I'll be more than happy to get that fight going again."

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Contrary to Cannonier's claim, Chimaev does have five career wins at middleweight in his 13-0 record. However, Chimaev does not have a win over a ranked UFC middleweight despite being ranked at No.9 in the division, with his best win over a career fighter in the division coming against Gerald Meerschaert.

The Chechen most recently defeated former champion Kamaru Usman at UFC 294 on short notice at 185 pounds, which Dana White announced as a title eliminator. Many fans and fighters, including Cannonier, discredit the win as a legitimate middleweight victory due to the majority of Usman's career transpiring at welterweight.

Chimaev has yet to respond to the callout from Cannonier and continues to insist on being the next middleweight title challenger on social media.

Watch the full interview with Jared Cannonier and The Schmo below:

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Jared Cannonier teases return at UFC 300 with callout of Khamzat Chimaev

Along with his conversation with The Schmo released on Jan. 26, Jared Cannonier appeared to be a popular interview with Canadian journalist James Lynch, teasing the arrival of another video featuring 'The Killa Gorilla.'

Capturing the attention of fans, Lynch reported that Cannonier told him that he desires a return at UFC 300. Cannonier also confirmed his interest in both Dricus du Plessis and Khamzat Chimaev as targeted opponents to Lynch.

Cannonier has not fought since dismantling Marvin Vettori at UFC Vegas 75. The former title challenger has put together two consecutive wins since losing to Israel Adesanya, with the other win coming over former champion Sean Strickland.

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Edited by Ken Cameron
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