‘Class Act’ Kamaru Usman Silences Haters Taking Shine Away from Khamzat Chimaev Win

Former 170lbs kingpin Kamaru Usman spoke about his razor close and short notice bout against Khamzat Chimaev back at UFC 294.

‘Class Act’ Kamaru Usman Silences Haters Taking Shine Away from Khamzat Chimaev Win

Kamaru Usman doesn't want to take credit for losing to Khamzat Chimaev (via X)

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Khamzat Chimaev stunned the MMA world at UFC 319, dismantling Dricus Du Plessis to claim the middleweight throne. In a masterclass of relentless wrestling pressure and suffocating ground control, ‘Borz’ delivered one of the most dominant title fight performances in recent memory.

Despite boasting about a variety of strategies ahead of the bout, Du Plessis was overwhelmed from start to finish. He spent much of the contest fending off constant submission attempts, unable to mount any meaningful offense. Chimaev’s control was staggering as the new kingpin dictated the action for more than 21 minutes, unleashed over 500 strikes, and made it all look alarmingly effortless.

It was yet another showcase of the dominance he has displayed throughout his unbeaten UFC run, with the lone exception being his razor-close battles against Kamaru Usman and Gilbert Burns. In fact, the brutal one-sided nature of this title fight only elevated Usman’s reputation.

Taking the challenge on short notice at UFC 294 and that too at 185lbs, the former welterweight king pushed Khamzat Chimaev to his limits and, for the first time, made the seemingly untouchable contender appear human. While Usman has been quick to dismiss exaggerated claims, he has continued to show respect for Chimaev, both as a competitor and as a friend. He recently took to his Pound 4 Pound podcast to discuss the aftermath of UFC 319.

Let’s address this, the whole ‘Oh you took the fight on this day’s notice.’ Listen, at the end of the day, I know who I am as a fighter and the way I approached this game, and so does Khamzat Chimaev. At the end of the day, it was still a loss on my side and it was a win for Khamzat Chimaev.

Kamaru Usman via Pound 4 Pound podcast 

Before that fight, Chimaev carried an aura of invincibility, but Usman dismissed the hype after going three tough rounds. Since then, their relationship has improved, with Chimaev even respectfully dapping Usman before stepping into the Octagon at UFC 319. It was a true class act from the former 170lbs kingpin, accepting reality gracefully and refusing unnecessary pride in defeat.

It was an L and I don’t feel any certain type of way. Every fight that we go into as fighters, you don’t know what we’re dealing with. Khamzat did his best to get the win and he got that win, so let’s give him that credit and move on.

Kamaru Usman via Pound 4 Pound podcast

Nevertheless, now at thirty-one years old, Chimaev stands prepared for his title reign and is eager to return very soon. The dominant fighter has already expressed a strong interest in competing at the highly anticipated UFC 321 card scheduled for October. With only seventy days left until the major event, fans wonder whether the champion will actually make that appearance.

Khamzat Chimaev gets warned for a potential title rematch 

Before the fight, Dricus Du Plessis and his coach confidently promised to take Khamzat Chimaev head-on, especially in wrestling exchanges. The South African’s coach, Morne Visser, boldly claimed that ‘Borz’ posed no real threat to them, dismissing his world-class grappling completely. However, when the fight actually happened, the reality was brutally different as Chimaev dominated with overwhelming wrestling pressure and control.

Khamzat Chimaev dominates Dricus Du Plessis
Khamzat Chimaev dominates Dricus Du Plessis (via X)

Following the loss, Visser slammed Chimaev’s game plan for not doing much and just ‘lying’ over the former champion. The coach also criticized the referee Marc Goddard for not breaking the long and tedious grappling exchanges and bringing the fight to the feet. However, despite all that, the South African is ready to train and potentially get revenge on Chimaev soon.

We would like to fight him very soon again, but there is no way I’ll take the rematch with us being a little bit behind in our Russian-style of wrestling…I know exactly what to do, and where to do it. It’s a big change. We’re going to have to make a big move to fix things. I won’t just take a fight because fights are available. I want to fix this problem because we’re going to face Khamzat, and I want to destroy him this time. 

Morne Visser via Submission Radio 

Currently, Chimaev has been directly called out by several top middleweights, including Sean Strickland, Paulo Costa, and many others. ‘Borz’ has undeniably skyrocketed in fame after capturing the middleweight title with dominance, cementing his status as an elite. It will be extremely interesting for fans and analysts alike to see what challenge and opportunities awaits the Chechnya juggernaut.

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