Chael Sonnen weighs in on Kamaru Usman vs. Khamzat Chimaev.
MMA legend Chael Sonnen recently weighed in on the potential pitfalls of a match-up between Kamaru Usman and Khamzat Chimaev.
Both ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ and ‘Borz’ have implied interest in facing each other in recent weeks. For Usman, a win over a rising star like Chimaev would likely be enough to net another crack at the UFC Welterweight Championship. For Chimaev, meanwhile, claiming a scalp as monumental as Usman’s would no doubt make him No.1 contender at 170lbs.
While the fight would certainly prove to be a big draw for fans, Sonnen sees it potentially disrupting the welterweight division and throwing it into disarray if it goes ahead.
“What Happens If Kamaru Usman Wins?” – Chael Sonnen
In a video uploaded to his YouTube channel, ‘The Bad Guy’ explained that with Colby Covington, Belal Muhammad, and the undefeated Shavkat Rakhmonov already in the mix, the 170lbs scene does not need an official No.1 contender’s match.
“A number one contender’s match in the 170-pound division seems like the most unlikely place that we need a number one contender because we have one, his name is Colby Covington,” Sonnen said. “I thought we had a back-up to the back-up which is Belal Muhammad, that’s what I thought we were told, and I thought we were told that to the point that Rakhmonov, who is easily the most impressive record in the entire sport isn’t even sure if he’s gonna be fighting on a main card in his next match. Right, we’ve got the back-up and the back-up to the back-up as far as number one contender goes.”
Should Kamaru Usman vs. Khamzat Chimaev go ahead, Sonnen can’t see a scenario where the winner doesn’t get the next title shot, which could prove chaotic for the division as a whole.
“It’s really hard for me to believe that somebody is going to come into town, or come into the division, and disrupt it. Oh, by the way, what happens if Kamaru Usman wins? What happens if you make Usman vs. Chimaev and we agreed that we just made the number one contender’s match? Can we agree that would trump any other number one contender’s match?”
For now, Kamaru Usman vs. Khamzat Chimaev remains unconfirmed despite the rumors. ‘Borz’ has also been linked to Paulo Costa and an official move to middleweight in recent months.