5 reasons why the UFC should book Khamzat Chimaev vs Colby Covington

#4. Khamzat Chimaev and Colby Covington are both accomplished wrestlers

Colby Covington's record speaks for his prowess as an elite-level wrestler. 'Chaos' happens to be a two-time NCAA All-American Division I champion. He has also won the Pac-10 championship twice.

As per UFC statistics, Colby Covington has 48 successful takedowns out of the 112 he has attempted so far. He also boasts a takedown defence percentage of 72%. His takedown record is the same as Khabib Nurmagomedov's after 13 UFC fights.

Meanwhile, Khamzat Chimaev too is an excellent wrestler in his own right. He is a three-time Swedish Freestyle National champion.

According to UFC stats, he enjoys a 66% takedown accuracy. At UFC 267, 'Borz' put his grappling skills to good use as he finished off Li Jingliang with a rear-naked choke in the very first round.

Arguably, Khamzat Chimaev hasn't been challenged in the octagon yet. 'Borz' is yet to face an opponent who is inside the top ten of the 170 pound division.

He was expected to face third-ranked Leon Edwards, but had to pull out due to COVID-19 related complications.

Squaring off against top-ranked Colby Covington could be his ticket to earning a championship bout. It would be an evenly matched encounter between two accomplished wrestlers, trying to take the fight to the ground.

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#3. Bad blood between them can be a major draw for fans

The UFC has put on some of the biggest pay-per-view fights in the history of MMA. Be it UFC 229 between Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov or UFC 100 between Brock Lesner and Frank Mir, they have all had one thing in common - bad blood between fighters.

The bad blood between Colby Covington and Khamzat Chimaev is evident from their recent back and forth. Dana White and the UFC could potentially be having another massive PPV event on their hands if they give 'Borz' a chance to have a go at Colby Covington inside the octagon.

Given the hype surrounding Chimaev, matching him up with one of the best fighters in the division is surely going to be a massive draw for fans.

Understandably, Dana White likes his latest prospect. Despite having fought thrice in the UFC, Dana had booked a fight between Khamzat Chimaev and Leon Edwards - the third-ranked fighter in the welterweight division. Unfortunately, the fight had to be canceled after 'Borz' pulled out citing COVID-19 complications.

After Khamzat Chimaev's dominant comeback at UFC 267, Dana White is already pushing to have Nate Diaz fight him.