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Amidst all the rumors and speculation, Khamzat Chimaev looks set to remain at welterweight and has his sights set on a title eliminator matchup against Colby Covington next.
'Borz' shocked the world after missing weight by a huge 7.5lbs for his main event bout against Nate Diaz at UFC 279. After being forced to withdraw from the fight and face Kevin Holland instead, it looked likely that the undefeated prospect would make his way back up to middleweight. However, that may no longer be the case.
In a social media post uploaded earlier today, Khamzat Chimaev revealed that Colby Covington is his ideal next opponent, all but ending the possibility of him making an imminent move up to 185lbs.
Prior to UFC 273, Dana White had planned to pit Khamzat Chimaev against Colby Covington if the Chechen-born Swede managed to overcome Gilbert Burns on the night. Despite Chimaev beating the Brazilian in an all-out war, his welterweight bout with 'Chaos' never came to fruition.
Colby Covington has taken a hiatus from competing in the octagon due to an altercation with Jorge Masvidal in Florida earlier this year. It has since been confirmed that the cardio-machine is now ready to return to the cage and hopes to kickstart another push towards 170lbs gold.
Following their near-brawl in the build-up to UFC 279, reports were suggesting that Khamzat Chimaev would move up to middleweight and pursue a fight with Paulo Costa. 'Borrachinha' may have to wait to get his hands on his rival as 'Borz' sets his eyes on a potential No.1 contender clash at welterweight next.
Will the winner of Khamzat Chimaev vs. Colby Covington be next in line for the title?
It wouldn't be wrong to suggest that whoever manages to get their hand raised in a potential bout between Khamzat Chimaev and Colby Covington would be next up for a shot at the 170lbs title.
The 28-year-old Chimaev is undefeated in his mixed martial arts career with six of his 12 wins coming inside the octagon. He has been knocking on the door of a title shot for some time, and that may happen with a win in his next outing.
Covington is 9-2 in his last 11 appearances in the cage, with his only losses coming against the former No.1 pound-for-pound fighter in the UFC, Kamaru Usman.
Their recent records give each fighter a strong claim at a title shot with a win in this possible war.
