'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
#2. Khamzat Chimaev's grappling
Khamzat Chimaev is a force to be reckoned with on the ground. Upon completing takedowns, 'Borz' immediately establishes control to prevent his foes from working their way back to their feet. Among the many tools at his disposal are wrist-grips and triangling his opponent's legs. Against opponents who roll onto their stomachs to push back up to their feet, Chimaev quickly wraps his legs around the leg they intend to push off of.
He then secures a body lock, leaning forward to force all of his weight and his foe's weight onto their arms. Before long, his adversaries' arms are exhausted, not only rendering them unable to return to their feet as effectively, but also rendering them less effective at fighting off his chokes with their arms burnt out. He also secures his opponent's wrist, tugging the caught arm under their torso to pin it under their combined weight.
All the while, 'Borz' threatens chokes while battering his foes with punches and elbows whenever they're preoccupied with the intricacies of his positional grappling.
#1. He has youth on his side
Whether Khamzat Chimaev will be the welterweight division's next champion now or later is up in the air. However, as a 28-year-old, the Chechen has nothing but time on his hands. His recent bout with Gilbert Burns was a learning experience and will likely impart a set of valuable skills in the rising welterweight contender. As a fairly young fighter, he has ample time to improve and sharpen his overall game.
Furthermore, when compared to most of the fighters in his division, Chimaev is in his physical prime, enabling him to fight while sustaining fewer injuries that are more likely to compromise fighters in their mid-to-late thirties such as Kamaru Usman, who recently recovered from a broken hand, and Colby Covington, who claims to have suffered a series of injuries due to Jorge Masvidal's off-cage assault.
While older fighters are nursing injuries, Chimaev will be hard at work, training and improving to become the next welterweight champion, whether that'll be after his expected win over Nate Diaz at UFC 279 or at a later stage in his career.
