"If I have one wish" - Jon Anik desires to witness Khamzat Chimaev contend for UFC gold in 2024

While Khamzat Chimaev's talent is undeniable, he has yet to receive a title opportunity due to a myriad of factors. Jon Anik recently revealed that he hopes to see 'Borz' contend for a title in 2024. Speaking to Mike Heck of MMA Fighting, the UFC commentator stated:

"If I have one wish for 2024, it's that Khamzat Chimaev will fight for an undisputed world title and have the health that will allow him to do so because I've been driving that train and certainly people have suggested that I have overhyped him. I'm just excited to see him eventually compete for a world title and I do think 2024 might be the year."

Check out Jon Anik's comments on Khamzat Chimaev below (starting at the 10:44 mark):

Chimaev had been closing in on a welterweight title opportunity, however, he missed weight at UFC 279 by a significant amount and eventually made the move to middleweight. After over a year of inactivity, 'Borz' returned at UFC 294, facing Kamaru Usman, who took the bout on ten days notice and moved up a weight class.

While he won the bout via majority decision, he was less than impressive, with many claiming that the bout should have ended in a draw and if it were a five-round fight, 'The Nigerian Nightmare' would have had his hand raised. The No.9-ranked middleweight will now likely need another win, or two, to receive a title opportunity.

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Khamzat Chimaev labels Jon Jones as the best fighter in the world

While Jon Jones is widely considered to be the greatest mixed martial artist of all-time, his move to heavyweight combined with his recent injury has led him to compete just once in the past four years. Despite this, Khamzat Chimaev recently revealed that he believes 'Bones' is still the best fighter on the planet. During a recent appearance on the Smile 2 Jannah podcast, 'Borz' stated:

"Jon Jones, still he's the best fighter in the world right now. He has most title defenses, he is a two-weight class champion, he never lost still. He’s been youngest champion in UFC. If you speak about MMA, everyone knows Jon Jones. In history, nobody like him so for sure he’s dream match for everyone who wants to be in the history."

The No.9-ranked middleweight added:

"I like him, I like his training. I watched his training, I learned a lot of stuff from him. We spoke about training so we can maybe train together. He’s a nice guy. We were speaking and joking around."

Check out Khamzat Chimaev's comments on Jon Jones below (13:45):

Chimaev revealed that Jones would be his dream opponent, despite the fact that there are multiple weight classes between the two fighters. He revealed that his reasoning is due to 'Bones' UFC 165 bout with his training partner Alexander Gustafsson, which was named the 2013 Fight of the Year.