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During a recent episode of his podcast, Chael Sonnen insisted that, despite Dana White's claims, Khamzat Chimaev will face Belal Muhammad next and not Colby Covington.
The undefeated welterweight locked horns with his toughest opponent to date at UFC 273 on April 9. He stole the show in a 'Fight of the Night' performance against Gilbert Burns. In what is being labeled an 'instant classic', the two 170-lbers endured a 15-minute war which ended with 'Borz' coming away with his hand raised.
Although reports suggest otherwise, Sonnen believes Muhammad may have done enough this past weekend to steal the opportunity to fight on the UFC's upcoming ABC card. He said:
"Let me just tell you how good Belal is, okay. He just took out Luque who'd won seven fights in a row. Luque who was the backup fighter at Madison Square Garden to fight for a world championship... When Belal gets on the back side of that, he decides to call for a main even for himself in the coveted ABC slot."
UFC president Dana White revealed Khamzat Chimaev will meet Colby Covington next. However, 'The American Gangster' is in agreement with Muhammad, who argues the proposed fight will not come to fruition. He said:
"I've come to the same conclusion that Belal came to, I don't think they have that match... I think Belal is going to get that fight. And now all of a sudden, it does become a number one contenders match for both guys... I do think Belal vs. Chimaev is the most likely of the rumored scenarios for the coveted ABC spot."
While many believed he would come up short, 'Remember the Name' overcame the dangerous threat posed by Vicente Luque and earned himself a decision win. With the division being unclear, a meeting with Khamzat Chimaev next is possible for the 33-year-old.
Listen to what Chael Sonnen had to say about the potential matchup and more during his podcast, HERE!
Who will Khamzat Chimaev fight next?
Normally, once Dana White airs breaking news and guarantees a fight will happen, it does. But, considering Covington's problems outside of the sport, we may see Khamzat Chimaev face a different contender
Coming fresh off a win, the aforementioned Belal Muhammad seems like a tough fight for the Swede. He could very well be next in line for the intimidating freestyle wrestler.
Chimaev could also sit and play backup to the potential title bout between Kamaru Usman and Leon Edwards, rumored to take place sometime this year.
