Khamzat Chimaev's next fight in the UFC
When Khamzat made his UFC debut in July 2020, it seemed like he was going to be a very active fighter. He broke the record for the quickest turnaround in UFC history between wins as he won 2 fights in the span of 10 days, defeating John Phillips and Rhys McKee. Two months later, he finished Gerald Meerschaert by knockout with a single punch. Khamzat Chimaev’s record is 12-0 as he looks for his 13th win next.
Khamzat got hit with a bad case of COVID after this stretch and hasn’t fought as consistently since. After defeating Kevin Holland at UFC 279, MMA fans have been asking the same question. When is Khamzat Chimaev's next fight?
Let’s look at 3 possible options for Khamzat Chimaev's next fight.
Robert Whittaker
It seems like Robert Whittaker is currently the frontrunner for Khamzat Chimaev's next fight. If Khamzat is to move up to the Middleweight division, no opponent could propel him to a title shot the way Robert Whittaker can. Not only is this a good option for Khamzat, it’s a good option for Whittaker as well. Whittaker has fought nearly everyone in the top 10 of the Middleweight rankings and is in need of a fresh opponent. The winner of this fight will likely earn a title shot and compete against the winner of Alex Pereira vs. Israel Adesanya 2.
Colby Covington
Colby Covington vs. Khamzat Chimaev is a fight that the UFC has been trying to make for a long time. The UFC tried to book this fight for July 16th, 2022, on ABC, but Covington wasn’t available. Brian Ortega and Yair Rodriguez headlined the card instead. It’s unclear what’s happening with Colby Covington and if he’ll ever return. If he does return to action, a fight against Khamzat Chimaev will be his biggest option in the Welterweight division outside of a title fight. Khamzat Chimaev’s ranking at Welterweight is currently #3 while Covington is ranked at #2.
Paulo Costa
Paulo Costa and Khamzat Chimaev don’t like each other, and we saw that during UFC 279 fight week when they got into an altercation at the UFC Apex. Costa wants a big fight and there’s no bigger option for him than Khamzat Chimaev. They have bad blood and it’s another fight that could justify a title shot for Khamzat if he wins.
Let us know in the comments on who you think should be Khamzat Chimaev’s next UFC fight.
