"It’s up to him when he’s gonna give up” - Khamzat Chimaev shares chilling prediction for Kamaru Usman fight at UFC 294

Khamzat Chimaev and Kamaru Usman are set to face off in a middleweight title eliminator in the co-main event of UFC 294 this weekend.

Chimaev will be making his first appearance at 185 pounds since 2020, while Usman will be making his divisional debut.

'Borz' was initially scheduled to face Paulo Costa this weekend, but a severe staph infection in the Brazilian's elbow forced him out of the contest. Kamaru Usman replaced Costa on short notice, and the former welterweight champion is currently a +265 underdog ahead of fight night.

Khamzat Chimaev does not appear to be underestimating his opponent but was oozing with confidence when asked to share his prediction for the clash.

'Borz' was recently interviewed by TNT Sports, where he said the following:

"We will see, we will see. I am ready if it goes three rounds and if it goes one round I will be ready as well. So it's up to him when he's gonna give up."

Watch the video below from 0:45:

Khamzat Chimaev is yet to taste defeat in MMA, but his impending bout with Kamaru Usman will likely be the toughest test of his career.

Despite the lack of preparation time, Usman consistently trains at high altitude and will no doubt have a good enough gas tank during the fight. The elite wrestling of 'The Nigerian Nightmare' could also cause Chimaev some problems, who is normally eager to take down his opponents and finish them on the ground.

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Khamzat Chimaev speculates on why he did not fight for over a year

Khamzat Chimaev will be fighting for the first time this year when he takes on Kamaru Usman in the UFC 294 co-main event.

Chimaev's last fight came against Kevin Holland at UFC 279 in September 2022, where he submitted 'Trailblazer' in the first round.

In his early UFC career, 'Borz' had become known as a fighter who would fight as much as possible, and his lengthy stint away from competition was a great mystery to fans.

During his pre-fight press conference ahead of UFC 294, Khamzat Chimaev was asked to shed light on him spending over a year outside the octagon. 'Borz' said:

"I don't know man. I have the same question for you guys, for Dana White, for the UFC. I can show you a lot of messages to these guys [saying], 'Give me a fight, give me a fight.' I want to fight with the best guys. They want to put me with somebody with a name, not with the guys who are nobodies... It's not fun to watch if I'm gonna smash somebody that nobody knows. It's not gonna make money for the UFC, that's why I think I've been held for a long time."

Watch the video below (4:05):