“Khamzat is in trouble” – Kamaru Usman bringing two of best MMA coaches to UFC 294 has fans fearing for Khamzat Chimaev
Middleweight debutant Kamaru Usman will have the guidance of two decorated names in MMA for his fight against Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 294.
Follow Us
Kamaru Usman vs. Khamzat Chimaev (Source: IMAGO)
Paulo Costa and Khamzat Chimaev‘s middleweight match-up in the co-main event of UFC 294 will not happen. Due to a staph infection, Costa had to pull out of the fight. The promotion called upon Kamaru Usman as a quick replacement to face Chimaev. Chimaev and Usman can earn a title shot with a win. The latest reports suggest Usman will have Trevor Wittman and Henri Hooft in his corner.
“For the first time, Trevor Wittman & Henri Hooft will be in the corner of Kamaru Usman, per Ali Abdelaziz,” reported Alex Behunin of MMA Mania posted on X. The news had garnered a few reactions from the fans of the MMA spectrum. One of them being, “The Captain Planet method of having those two geniuses, I’m intrigued!” This was about the 90’s popular-media animated piece, with the inference being five teens who summon a hero together. Whittman and Hooft’s inclusion thus stirred the pot. “Khamzat is in trouble,” said another tweet.
Both coaches are widely considered the best MMA coaches in the industry. Usman had been splitting his training time between Wittman’s ONX Sports, Colorado, and Hooft’s Kill Cliff FC in Florida for the last few years. As per Ali Abdelaziz, UFC 294 would mark the first time they served in the same corner together. Usually, they are in the opposite corner. Fight fans remain fearful for Chimaev due to this collaboration.
The co-main event switch-up came less than a day after CEO Dana White announced that the headlining event between Islam Makhachev and Charles Oliveira was off. Alexander Volkanovski replaced Oliveira in the main event. Only time will tell if Hooft and Wittman help Usman achieve victory against Chimaev.
Kamaru Usman vs. Khamzat Chimaev bout has major UFC title implications
Former UFC welterweight Kamaru Usman will face Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 294. Replacing Paul Costa, Usman moves up to middleweight following back-to-back welterweight title fight losses. Before that, he had five title defenses in the 170 lbs division. Usman had not competed since UFC 286. In a since-deleted post, Costa had mentioned undergoing a second elbow surgery, which made him pull out of the fight.
Chimaev has competed as both welterweight and middleweight in his UFC tenure. With Usman yet to make his middleweight debut, news came in regarding the aftermath of the UFC 294 co-main event match-up. Kevin Iole of Yahoo! Sports confirmed that CEO Dana White had hinted at a middleweight title shot, given that there was no injury in the matchup.
The UFC middleweight title currently belongs to Sean Strickland, who dethroned Israel Adesanya in September. The common fan consensus was that middleweight contender and mainstay Dricus du Plessis should fight for the title next. However, with White’s new decision, post-UFC 294, things could turn out very differently.
In case you missed it:
- “My wet mop in my house has more charisma,” Colby Covington calls out ‘uncharismatic’ Kamaru Usman for wanting Khamzat Chimaev fight
- “Who are you?” Kamaru Usman questions ‘all hype’ Khamzat Chimaev’s audacity to make demands against legendary welterweight
Stay Updated!
Nidhin Shibu
(2537 Articles Published)