Michael Chandler hails Khamzat Chimaev as the future of UFC welterweight and middleweight divisions

UFC lightweight, Michael Chandler, has expressed his admiration for No. 14 ranked welterweight, Khamzat Chimaev. The Former three-time Bellator Lightweight World Champion believes Chimaev to be the future of the welterweight and middleweight divisions of the UFC.

Khamzat 'Borz' Chimaev made his UFC debut against middleweight John Phillips. He came out victorious via submission in round two. The Swedish national then made a quick turnaround and took a fight against Rhys McKee at welterweight just after ten days.

'Borz' finished the fight with an impressive TKO victory. This made him an instant fan favorite and even UFC president, Dana White, seemed to be singing his praises.

“He wants all these fights back-to-back. It’s no disrespect to his opponent. He’s either going to win or lose. That has nothing to do with us, that’s up to them. But to do that, for him to fight two fights in a row, you have to book him. And for a guy like him — I would never do that for someone else. I would be like, ‘Relax, let’s see if you get through this fight.’ But what I’ve seen from him, I’m willing to do that for him", said Dana White.

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Who did Michael Chandler compare Khamzat Chimaev to?

The fighting style of Khamzat Chimaev is quite similar to that of Khabib Nurmoagomedov's style. 'Borz' is swift in his takedown and mauls his opponents just like Nurmagomedov does.

The newest addition to UFC's lightweight roster, Michael Chandler, also believes the same. He stated that Chimaev is destined to have a great future in the UFC as he possesses knockout power along with the ability to dominate people on the ground.

"I think Khamzat Chimaev is the future of the welterweight and the middleweight division. The way he mauls people is similar to how Khabib (Nurmagomedov) mauls people. Knocking out (Gerald) Meerschaert like he did in that first exchange, in the first 20 seconds of the fight... He has shown that he has got power in his hands. He has shown people that he is able to control people and dominate people on the ground. Bright future. I believe is going to be a future champion", said Michael Chandler in an Instagram Live video.

Khamzat Chimaev was able to face Gerald Meerschaert at UFC Fight Night 178. Chimaev knocked out Meerschaert with the first punch he threw within 17 seconds.

Khamzat Chimaev is well-deserving of the Fan Choice 'Debut of the Year' Award that he has bagged in 2020. A video of his charitable nature surfaced on YouTube last year where he was seen feeding the poor along the roadside.

This goes to show that Khamzat Chimaev is certainly a great ambassador for the sport of MMA and has earned all the praise that he has been getting lately.