Khamzat Chimaev Praised by Former Rival After UFC 319 Win
Read Time:2 Minute, 33 Second
Khamzat Chimaev fulfilled his promise of becoming a UFC champion after defeating Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 319.
Chimaev burst onto the scene in 2020, where he won two UFC fights just 10 days apart, catching the attention of the whole MMA world.
After missing weight and struggling with inactivity in recent years, Chimaev has had people doubting him for some time.
Fights against Gilbert Burns and Kamaru Usman also appeared to show cracks in his game, as fans believed Du Plessis could be the one to halt Chimaev’s undefeated run.
Chimaev silenced the doubters though, extending his undefeated record to 15-0. Haters are now scratching their heads as to who can actually stop “Borz”. He dominated the fight from start to finish, and has even left a former foe marveling at his performance.
How Good Was Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 319?
The biggest question mark coming into UFC 319 was if Chimaev was going to be able to last five rounds with Du Plessis. In an attempt to be ready for a five-round war, Chimaev heavily focused on cardio in his training camp.
Chimaev started fast as expected, taking the champion down just five seconds into the fight, and dominating the first two rounds. But it was in the later rounds where he showed improvement in the few weaknesses of his game, making him look even scarier than before.
| UFC 319 Fight Stats | Khamzat Chimaev | Dricus Du Plessis (C) |
| Total Strikes | 529 | 45 |
| Significant Strikes | 37 | 13 |
| Control Time | 21:40 | 0:53 |
Official fight stats according to ESPN
A staggering 21 minutes of control time in a 25-minute title fight is unheard of from a challenger. However, the real criticism comes with what Khamzat was trying to do within that period. For all of Chimaev’s control, he only totaled 37 significant strikes and never really had Du Plessis in big trouble.
Du Plessis, on the other hand, found himself with a dangerous rear-naked choke latched onto Chimaev late in the final round. Chimaev has had his criticism from this fight. But what he has done is impressive, and his former opponent believes ‘casuals’ don’t know what they’re talking about.
Robert Whittaker Calls Chimaev’s UFC 319 Performance ‘Crazy’
Former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker was Chimaev’s last victim. But even after having his jaw squashed by the grip of the Chimaev, Whittaker was full of praise. He even defended the newly crowned champion from backlash online.
While on the MMA Arcade Podcast, Whittaker said, “Anyone that says it’s a boring fight is a casual. If you’re a fan of the sport and not fascinated by Chimaev’s ability to control someone as dogged as Dricus, you have to be a casual.”
Whittaker added, “This level at a championship fight, this level of control – we just saw someone get crucifixed for 15 minutes. How can you be a fan of the sport and not think, wow, that’s crazy?”
Dana White has announced that Chimaev’s first title defense will be against one of the winners of Anthony Hernandez vs. Reinier de Ridder or Nassourdine Imavov vs. Caio Borralho.
Happy
40 %
Sad
0 %
Excited
20 %
Sleepy
0 %
Angry
0 %
Surprise
40 %
About Post Author
