Rising UFC welterweight star Khamzat Chimaev doesn’t think Kamaru Usman would fare well in a fight with boxing champion Canelo Álvarez.
Chimaev is set to face Gilbert Burns at UFC 273, in arguably the toughest test of his UFC tenure. He has won 10 straight to begin his MMA career, including most recently in a smothering of Li Jingliang at UFC 267.
Usman is the UFC’s best pound-for-pound fighter in the world and is coming off an electric 2021. In the leadup to his last fight at UFC 268, he hinted at a potential crossover against Alvarez soon.
Usman’s manager, Ali Abdelaziz, recently said that Usman can knock out Alvarez inside three rounds of boxing. This prompted a variety of reactions around combat sports, including from Chimaev.
In a recent tweet, Chimaev mocked the UFC welterweight champion along with a retweeted video of Usman whiffing punches.
“[He is] good boxer,” Chimaev said sarcastically.
Usman’s striking has arguably improved drastically over his past few fights, particularly showcased in knockouts of Burns and Jorge Masvidal. Yet, it seems Chimaev is not impressed to the point that he thinks Usman would stand a chance against Alvarez.
UFC President Dana White has recently teased that Chimaev vs. Burns “makes sense” as a No. 1 contender fight. If that’s the case and Chimaev can defeat Burns, he could secure a matchup with Usman sooner rather than later.
As for Usman/Alvarez, White has made it clear that he is not interested in helping put that superfight together.
How do you think a Khamzat Chimaev vs. Kamaru Usman fight would play out?
