A former UFC champion believes analyst Din Thomas is way off base along with his Khamzat Chimaev stance.
Khamzat Chimaev‘s long-awaited shot at UFC gold comes against middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis at UFC 319 later this month. Chimaev earned the title shot after middleweight wins over Robert Whittaker and former UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman.
Despite Chimaev being one win away from winning a UFC title, one top analyst believes a win at UFC 319 would spell doom for the promotion. Din Thomas referenced Chimaev’s lack of fight activity in recent times as a possible ‘disaster’ if the undefeated contender wins the belt.
Chimaev has fought just 3 times since April 2022, as a result of health and travel-related issues. But along with his health issues behind him, Chimaev is prepared to succeed in the head of UFC superstardom.
Belal Muhammad: Din Thomas ‘way off’ on Khamzat Chimaev stance
Thomas’s comments drew mixed reviews from fans and pundits, with some siding with Thomas’s stance as a result of Chimaev’s inconsistent schedule. But one former titleholder believes Thomas is way off base in his position, and believes a Chimaev title win could be a large success story for the UFC.
In a recent video uploaded to his YouTube channel, former UFC welterweight champion Belal Muhammad responded to Thomas.
“I don’t know what the fudge Din Thomas is talking about, he’s way off on this one,” Muhammad began.
“I believe it’ll be one among the largest things for the UFC if Chimaev wins the belt. I believe he’ll probably be one among the largest stars and superstars the UFC has…he already has that invincible aura about him.
“The aura is just going to get greater especially if he goes on the market and dominates Dricus, who’s on a hot streak.”
Muhammad then predicted that Chimaev could win in a surprising fashion at UFC 319.
“I believe he can go on the market and finish him dominantly, and even like Khabib said, just strike with him,” Muhammad explained.
“I believe he can outstrike him. I believe he’ll make it look easy if he keeps it on the feet. Yeah, Dricus has a chin, he has cardio, he has an ungainly style, he has toughness, but I believe Chimaev is quite a bit cleaner.”
Chimaev’s last knockout win got here against middleweight Gerald Meerschaert in Sept. 2020. Since then, three of Chimaev’s last five wins have come by submission, with two fights going to decisions.
Chimaev’s botched weight cut at UFC 279 left many fans sour on the Chechen. But since making the full-time move to middleweight, Chimaev hasn’t missed weight, and one former heavyweight believes he can fight within the heavyweight division at some point.
UFC fans questioned Dricus du Plessis’s pick for hardest opponent ahead of UFC 319
Du Plessis vs. Chimaev is one among the largest fights in recent UFC history, although the reigning UFC middleweight champion puts one fighter ahead of Chimaev by way of difficulty.
Within the lead-up to UFC 319, Du Plessis claimed Israel Adesanya was his hardest opponent, despite submitting him at UFC 305. Du Plessis admitted he was ‘nervous’ ahead of the fight, and struggled to cope with Adesanya’s diverse striking arsenal within the early rounds.
UFC fans immediately were skeptical of Du Plessis’s comments after ending Adesanya of their UFC 305 fight. Some consider Sean Strickland posed the hardest test of Du Plessis’s profession after their closely-contested fight at UFC 297.
Du Plessis, like Chimaev, is unbeaten within the UFC Octagon. He’ll look to proceed to make his middleweight GOAT case at UFC 319 later this month.