Israel Adesanya’s grappling training ahead of much-anticipated return leaves Khamzat Chimaev in splits

Undefeated UFC contender, Khamzat Chimaev, laughs at Israel Adesanya's recent grappling video on social media.

Israel Adesanya’s grappling training ahead of much-anticipated return leaves Khamzat Chimaev in splits

Khamzat Chimaev laughs at Israel Adesanya (Image via Imago)

Israel Adesanya recently uploaded a video of him grappling amid rumors of a UFC 300 fight. Khamzat Chimaev was amused by Adesanya’s grappling skills as he commented with three laughing emojis.

Israel Adesanya and Khamzat Chimaev are both top contenders in the UFC. Chimaev previously claimed that the UFC was protecting Adesanya from him. He asserted that he would “kill” the former middleweight champion if given the chance. Chimaev referred to Adesanya as a “cash cow” and suggested that fans were more excited to see him fight Adesanya than any other opponent in the division. Chimaev confidently said that he would beat Adesanya, and make “light work” of him.

YouTube video

Meanwhile, Adesanya welcomed the challenge of facing Chimaev. He acknowledged the undefeated fighter as a unique challenge. However, Adesanya expressed doubt about the fight ever happening. Adesanya stated that he had bigger opponents to focus on ahead of Chimaev, thus emphasizing other priorities over facing him in a fight.

FS Video

Chimaev is a three-time Swedish National champion in wrestling. He is undefeated at the national championships. Chimaev’s wrestling has contributed to his undefeated status in MMA. He is arguably one of the top grapplers in the UFC. On the other hand, Israel Adesanya is a two-time UFC middleweight champion. He held the title for more than three years before losing it to Alex Pereira in 2022.

Fans react to Khamzat Chimaev laughing at Israel Adesanya’s grappling

Khamzat Chimaev’s reaction to Israel Adesanya’s recent grappling video caught the attention of fans on social media. They gathered in the comment section to share their reactions and opinions. Here are some of the reactions on X:

Khamzat Chimaev Israel Adesanya
Khamzat Chimaev calls out Israel Adesanya (Image via Imago)
https://twitter.com/TheSama69420/status/1754291406531621229

Both Israel Adesanya and Khamzat Chimaev have ardent fans. One fan took shots at Khamzat Chimaev while the other criticised Adesanya. While some pointed out Israel Adesanya’s weaker grappling skills, others brought up Khamzat Chimaev’s sub-par striking skills when compared to Adesanya. Khamzat Chimaev recently fought Kamaru Usman while Adesanya has taken a break from fighting after losing his title to Strickland. Now that both are in the same division, it will be interesting to see who wins, if a potential fight does take place.

In case you missed it!