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Khamzat Chimaev's coach, Andreas Michael, believes Kamaru Usman can bounce back from his devastating loss against Leon Edwards.
Chimaev is one of many who believe Usman won't be the same after suffering his first knockout loss at UFC 278. Meanwhile, Michael, the head coach at Allstars Training Centre, has hope for 'The Nigerian Nightmare.'
During an interview with ESPN MMA, Brett Okamoto asked Michael if he agreed with Chimaev's doubts about Usman, and he had this to say:
"No, I don't agree with that because we've seen great champions like Muhammad Ali, George Foreman, they get knocked out and they come back. It's just what you have in you that you can show and bring to the table again. A great champion, a legend, can come back from things like that. I think Kamaru is a good champion."
Usman was recently on Joe Rogan's podcast, where he seemed to be taking the loss well, even making jokes about the knockout. Fighters and the media have questioned if he will ever be the same, but 'The Nigerian Nightmare' may come back better than ever, with a newfound motivation.
Watch Khamzat Chimaev's interview with Brett Okamoto below:
Khamzat Chimaev's coach reveals potential timeframe for move to middleweight
Standing at six feet and two inches tall, Khamzat Chimaev is a massive welterweight. His size seems to create a path to becoming a two-division champion should he move to middleweight. Now that he's closing in on a title shot at 170, some have questioned when he will move up.
During the same interview, Michael had this to say about a potential timeline for Chimaev's move to middleweight:
"He's so close to the [welterweight] title shot now. Let him get that chance and then go up to middleweight, and we take it from there."
Michael clarified that they are not looking past Nate Diaz at UFC 279. With a win against Diaz, Chimaev could find himself fighting for the welterweight title sooner rather than later.
'Borz' also had a recent altercation with Paulo Costa, which gave him an opponent to solidify himself as a middleweight contender should he win.
Watch the altercation between Khamzat Chimaev and Paulo Costa below:
