Khamzat Chimaev Congratulated by UFC Superstar Conor McGregor for Creating History for Chechnya

New middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev gets words of appreciation from Conor McGregor after winning the title at UFC 319.

Khamzat Chimaev Congratulated by UFC Superstar Conor McGregor for Creating History for Chechnya

Conor McGregor reacts to Khamzat Chimaev's title win at UFC 319 (via X)

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Khamzat Chimaev became new UFC middleweight champion at UFC 319, defeating Dricus Du Plessis via unanimous decision. It was a dominating win for the ‘Borz’, who executed his game plan perfectly and didn’t allow DDP any fighting opportunities. Chimaev’s superior wrestling completely overwhelmed the South African, forcing him into defensive positions and spending most minutes surviving submissions.

Ahead of the fight, Du Plessis promised to go head-to-head against Chimaev’s wrestling, but the reality was different. The ‘Borz’ controlled the fight for 21 minutes and 40 seconds, which is 88 percent of the total fight duration. With his win, Chimaev became the first person from Chechen origin to win the UFC belt and Conor McGregor was hyped about it. 

Chechnya’s first UFC Champion! Congrats! 

Conor McGregor via X

Despite his inactivity inside the UFC octagon, McGregor consistently watches every major pay-per-view event and shares opinions online. Regardless of his ongoing beef with Russian fighters including Islam Makhachev and Khabib Nurmagomedov, McGregor acknowledged Chimaev’s exceptional dominance.

Chimaev’s relentless pressure with twelve takedowns out of seventeen attempts completely neutralized Du Plessis, leaving the South African exhausted. Ahead of the fight, doubts were raised about Chimaev’s striking ability against Du Plessis and his awkward style.

Many believed the South African’s unpredictable movement and unorthodox fighting stance would trouble Chimaev, but the fight didn’t go like how others predicted. When it came to the striking output, ‘Borz’ dominated thoroughly, landing 529 strikes compared to just 45 landed by Du Plessis.

During the fight, Chimaev revealed he communicated with Du Plessis and his coach, urging them to work harder. He still gave the former champion credit, acknowledging Du Plessis’ toughness since he couldn’t secure a finish across all five rounds. Now, as the reigning middleweight champion, the Chechen star looks ahead toward his first title defense against the division’s top contenders.

Khamzat Chimaev is ready to fight anybody 

The UFC middleweight division has become fiercely competitive, featuring top contenders like Sean Strickland, Caio Borralho, and Nassourdine Imavov battling relentlessly. Imavov and Borralho are scheduled to clash at UFC Paris on September 6 at Accor Arena. Imavov enters this matchup as the betting favorite at approximately –150, while Borralho trails as the +130 underdog.

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

Their showdown promises to be a high-octane striking battle, with both men known for speed, precision, and stand-up dominance. Both of them are desperate for a title shot and are now expected to fight Chimaev for the title. During his interview with ESPN MMA, the new champion Khamzat Chimaev was asked about the title eliminator and the champion shared his honest opinion. 

For sure. Those guys both are strong guys and good fighters. I have worked with both guys, they know my level of grappling and how good I’m. 

Khamzat Chimaev via ESPN MMA

Borralho has previously trained with Chimaev and mentioned how he observed the Chechen superstar and knows how to beat him. On the other hand, Imavov has already fought top fighters like Israel Adesanya and remains confident about his ability to finish top fighters. Everyone knows by now that the way to stop Chimaev will rely on their ability to stop the takedown.

Apart from that, Chimaev remains deeply connected to his longtime rival Sean Strickland, with their history and intense online beef fueling tension. Following Chimaev’s dominant championship victory, Strickland quickly chimed in, stirring the rivalry further and teasing a possible future showdown. 

The UFC could capitalize on this heated storyline, potentially booking Chimaev versus Strickland, creating a blockbuster fight that fans eagerly anticipate. The Chechen fighter, however, has made his intentions clear publicly, stating he was willing to fight anyone provided the UFC paid sufficiently.

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