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Khamzat Chimaev has once again reiterated his claim that Kamaru Usman would rather retire than face him in the octagon. Khamzat believes that he is the one fight that the No.1-ranked pound-for-pound fighter is afraid to take.
Usman is the long-standing champion of the UFC's welterweight division, but an increasing number of fans believe that Chimaev is the heir to his throne.
Usman will look to defend his welterweight belt for the sixth time at UFC 278 against the No.2-ranked welterweight Leon Edwards. Chimaev, the No.3-ranked welterweight, will face unranked Nate Diaz at UFC 279 in what will be his first five-round fight.
The Swedish fighter recently spoke with Oscar Willis of TheMacLife and was asked if he believes that he will receive the next title shot against Kamaru Usman. He responded by stating (starting at 3:49):
"We will see. If Kamaru wins the fight, I think he's going to take a long time to come back and maybe [even] retire. I think the guy is scared of me. He always talks about 'Maybe I'm finished, maybe I'm finished.' I hope he's going to win the fight [so that] I [can] fight with him.
Khamzat Chimaev has proven to be a very tough opponent. He is 11-0 in his MMA career and 5-0 in the UFC. His unanimous decision over Gilbert Burns at UFC 273 was the first time Chimaev went the distance in one of his bouts.
Kamaru Usman has already reached the level of greateness that Chimaev is pursuing. He is currently on a 19-fight win streak and is 15-0 in the UFC. His UFC 278 matchup against Leon Edwards will provide Usman with a chance to tie Anderson Silva for the most consecutive UFC wins of all-time.
Usman may not be giving Chimaev much thought, but he is well-aware of the comments being directed towards him. If the two compete in the next welterweight title fight, it would be a great matchup featuring two fantastic mixed martial artists.
Watch Khamzat Chimaev's full comments on TheMacLife below:
Will Khamzat Chimaev and Kamaru Usman fight?
Khamzat Chimaev and Kamaru Usman have been on a collision course for several months, but should that be delayed, Usman plans to fight for the light heavyweight title or fight Canelo Alvarez in a boxing match.
Neither of those plans seem set in stone, and the opportunity to defeat the surging Swede could be too much for Usman to pass up. A record-breaking win over a top opponent like Chimaev would surely place Usman on the Mount Rushmore of MMA, a spot that he already possesses a claim for.
