Khamzat Chimaev reacted to recent statements made by his latest opponent, former UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman.
It was Kamaru Usman (20-4 MMA) vs. the undefeated Khamzat Chimaev (13-0 MMA) in a middleweight bout last October at UFC 294. The outcome was a majority decision loss for ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’.
With that defeat, Usman at 36, has 3 consecutive losses in the cage.
On the ‘Pound 4 Pound’ podcast with Henry Cejudo, Usman was asked if he saw something special in Khamzat Chimaev, to which he responded:
“You get in those type of fights and those positions to where you build something up in your mind and in your head. And everyone’s now – especially now in this machine of the UFC, of MMA – you build him up in your head.”
“Then you get in there and you go, ‘That wasn’t special.’ There was nothing different that I haven’t seen. Had I given it a little bit more, had I have given myself a little bit more credit, that would have turned out totally different.”
Continuing, Kamaru Usman played out the fight saying:
“We get out there, and right away he takes a shot, and I’m just like, ‘Oh, sh*t. He’s a little bigger than I thought, but nothing special. He’s on top and I’m like, ‘These strikes don’t really hurt. Nothing special.’”
Concluding, Usman said:
“Then I got up to my feet, and it was the first punch I hit him with, I’m like, ‘Oh, OK. I can do this.’ But it was after the end of the fight, it was just in my head saying, ‘Why? Why did I doubt myself. Don’t do that again.’”
Well, Khamzat Chimaev took notice of Usman’s commentary and responded on ‘X‘:
Don’t talk too much musman you’re lost ? This people are proud of their losses. Wtf ?”
Khamzat Chimaev nor Usman have had their next opponents named or a timeframe laid out for their return to the Octagon.