5 reasons why Kamaru Usman will end Khamzat Chimaev's dream run in the UFC

It's fair to say that Kamaru Usman is arguably the best fighter in the UFC at the moment. 'The Nigerian Nightmare' is currently at the top of the men's pound-for-pound rankings in the promotion and is on an incredible run.

While there is no dearth of challengers in the welterweight division, the 34-year-old has already defeated most of them once, if not twice.

But with the rise of Khamzat Chimaev through the ranks, a new challenge awaits the Nigerian native in the octagon. If the fight happens, will Kamaru Usman reign supreme?

'Borz' has looked like he's in the form of his life and is just getting started. In his short stint in the UFC, the Chechen native has made a name for himself with his ability to finish fights. While some might argue that he hasn't been tested enough in the octagon, the 28-year-old made quite the impression with his performance against Gilbert Burns.

However, despite all his prowess, Khamzat Chimaev might find his unbeaten streak snapped by Kamaru Usman should they share the octagon. Let's take a look at five reasons why Kamaru Usman will end the Swede's dream run in the UFC:

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#5. Kamaru Usman's experience

'The Nigerian Nightmare' is one of the most well-rounded fighters in the promotion.

Kamaru Usman has been one of the most disciplined fighters in recent times and has proven his mettle time and again.

'The Nigerian Nightmare' knows what it means to be at the top and has bested the likes of Colby Covington and Jorge Masvidal, amongst others, in the 170lbs division.

Khamzat Chimaev, on the other hand, hasn't had as much experience in the octagon. He is relatively new and has mostly fought fighters who aren't in the top ten of the welterweight rankings. Although he stood tall against former title challenger Gilbert Burns at UFC 273, the win didn't come as easy as his previous fights.

'Borz' took some heavy blows from 'Dourinho', especially in the last two rounds. He arguably wasn't as organized in his approach as one would expect a title contender to be. According to the official stats, 'Borz' struck with a significant strike accuracy of 48% compared to Burns' 59%.

Against Kamaru Usman, on the other hand, Burns couldn't survive till the end. He could land 45 significant shots on target compared to Usman's 83 before being knocked out in the third round.

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#4. Khamzat Chimaev's gas tank isn't arguably as good as Kamaru Usman's

'Borz' had to work hard for his win at UFC 273

Khamzat Chimaev was pushed beyond his limits in his recent fight against Gilbert Burns at UFC 273. This was the first time he had to go the distance against a fighter in the octagon. Each of his four fights leading up to the fight was short, with the longest being a little over six minutes.

After a promising start to the opening round, 'Borz' started showing signs of slowing down. In the second round, Burns hurt him with as many as 45 significant strikes to the head. Although the Chechen withstood the pounding and made a comeback in the last round, he was visibly spent.

Kamaru Usman, meanwhile, is battle-tested and has ten wins via judges' decision in the UFC, famously going nearly ten rounds with a pressure-heavy fighter like Colby Covington. He has a superior gas tank and is adept at conserving his energy to last five rounds. Should the fight materialize and proceed beyond the third round, Usman will likely be the winner.

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#3. Kamaru Usman's hot run inside the octagon

Usman has run through some of the best fighters in the division.

As mentioned earlier, Kamaru Usman is the number one men's pound-for-pound fighter in the UFC. The welterweight kingpin has a record of 15-0 in the promotion, which is also the longest active win streak in Dana White's organization.

Not only that, the Nigerian has been in sublime form of late and is in a different league altogether. Such has been his performance that even a fighter of Colby Covington's caliber has had to settle for the second spot in the division.

Speaking during the post-fight press conference at UFC 268, Dana White said:

"If Usman doesn’t exist then Colby Covington is the champion here in UFC. Usman is just, this guy is the best ever and he is the best welterweight of all time.”

Watch the press conference below:

Although records are meant to be broken, Khamzat Chimaev perhaps won't be the one to shatter Kamaru Usman's record - at least not at the moment. If 'Borz' is given a title shot against the welterweight kingpin, one will likely see another successful title defense from 'The Nigerian Nightmare.'

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#2. Kamaru Usman's excellent takedown defense

The Nigerian hasn't been taken down to date in the UFC.

Khamzat Chimaev is a gifted wrestler and a three-time Swedish National champion. Since his UFC debut, 'Borz' has shown great potential as a submission artist. In fact, two of his five wins in the promotion have come via submission, and his TKO victory against Rhys McKee was primarily due to his ability to take his opponent down and keep him there.

Kamaru Usman, however, is not an easy target to take down. Although he prefers to stay upright while fighting, 'The Nigerian Nightmare' is just as good on the ground.

The 35-year-old is an NCAA Division Two champion. Despite facing the likes of Gilbert Burns and Colby Covington in his career, the Nigerian has never been submitted inside the octagon. Additionally, he boasts a 100% takedown defense, which he uses to significant effect to fight from a standing position. Although Colby Covington arguably took him down in their rematch, Usman's takedown defense still reads 100% in the official UFC record book.

Thus, taking Usman down won't be as easy for Chimaev. He might have to fight from a standing position and try to look for a knockout. With striking arguably not being his best attribute, 'Borz' could have a serious problem at hand if the fight materializes.

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#1. Kamaru Usman's improvement as a striker

Usman is one of the best strikers in the promotion at the moment.

Kamaru Usman's striking has improved in leaps and bounds since his debut inside the octagon. Although he is primarily a wrestler, the Nigerian wasn't extremely adept at striking. However, he has become immensely better since switching camps to train under Trevor Wittman.

Going by his career stats, 'The Nigerian Nightmare' has only four knockout wins. The majority of his wins have come via judges' decision.

Understandably, a fighter's striking prowess is often judged based on the number of knockouts to their name. However, in Kamaru Usman's case, the numbers don't give out the entire picture.

In almost all of his victories, no matter how they have come, the 35-year-old has outstruck his opponents from the standup position. For instance, he outlanded Tyron Woodley 141-34 in significant strikes landed on target during their title fight. While much of that may have come from his ground control, Usman has added many more levels to his striking now.

Khamzat Chimaev, while an able fighter, was significantly outstruck by Gilbert Burns. Given where he stands right now, a win against Usman seems less likely for 'Borz'.