Khamzat Chimaev, the No.3-ranked welterweight, recently gave his prediction about who he believes will walk away from the upcoming Kamaru Usman vs. Leon Edwards match with the belt.
It will be Usman (20-1 MMA) vs Edwards (19-3 MMA) this coming Saturday, August 20th at the UFC 278 main event taking place at the Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Usman, 35, is on an unbelievable 19 fight winning streak and is looking to maintain his welterweight crown.
Edwards, 30, is enjoying a 9 fight winning streak and is hoping to upset ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ this coming Saturday.
The two fighters previously met way back in December of 2015 where Usman defeated Edwards via unanimous decision.
Chimaev has a vested interest in the UFC 278 title fight between welterweight champion Kamaru Usman and No.2-ranked welterweight Leon Edwards, as he could be next in line for a title shot.
Chimaev, while speaking with Oscar Willis of TheMacLife, picked Usman to win the fight, even though he believes the No.1-ranked pound-for-pound fighter is afraid of him.
A victory for Edwards would likely delay the Swedish fighter’s chances of receiving a title fight, as Usman would almost certainly receive an immediate rematch. However, Chimaev isn’t counting Edwards out, stating (starting at the 4:19 mark):
“I actually am like 60/40 for Usman, yeah… [From] when they last met, they’re both completely different. Kamaru’s getting much better boxing, and Leon’s getting better wrestling. It’s an interesting fight for me as well.”
Khamzat Chimaev is giving Leon Edwards a good chance to dethrone Kamaru Usman, despite picking the current champion to win the bout.
Edwards believes that he is fighting Usman at the perfect time and will be able to shock the world at UFC 278. However, Usman noted that he is more prepared and obsessed with competition than ever, obviously expecting to be at the top of his game.
Following his UFC 268 victory over Colby Covington, UFC President Dana White labeled Kamaru Usman as the greatest welterweight of all-time, a claim he recently doubled down on.
While Chimaev is right that Edwards shouldn’t be counted out, it is unwise to bet against Usman at this stage of his career. He has shown a level of dominance that has only been seen from a handful of fighters and achieved a level of greatness that has firmly put him in the GOAT discussion.
Watch Khamzat Chimaev’s full appearance on TheMacLife below:
