UFC welterweight contender Khamzat Chimaev congratulated his potential future opponent, Kamaru Usman on his UFC 268 victory.
Usman put on another gritty performance against Colby Covington at UFC 268, earning a unanimous decision victory in another five-round classic. Many around the UFC community, including Chimaev, were in awe of Usman’s latest showcase.
Chimaev is fresh off his dominant first-round finish over Li Jingliang at UFC 267 and is inching closer to a shot against Usman. He entered the rankings this week as the 10th-best UFC welterweight.
While Chimaev took the time to congratulate Usman, he also used the opportunity to warn Usman of his rise towards title contention.
Khamzat Chimaev Is A Rising UFC Star At Welterweight
“Congraulations good job bro, [Kamaru Usman],” Chimaev tweeted. “I’m coming for you brother, I’m coming.”
Chimaev has taken the UFC by storm since signing with the promotion in 2020. After a successful career overseas competing in Brave CF, Chimaev has earned four straight stoppages in the UFC at welterweight and middleweight.
Chimaev rose to prominence by earning three finishes within two months last year, earning wins over Gerald Meerschaert, John Phillips, and Rhys McKee.
UFC President Dana White has made it clear that Chimaev still has a long way to go before earning a title shot, after just recently moving into the top 10 in rankings. Usman will await his next title challenger after seemingly closing the chapter on his rivalry with Covington.
A matchup between Usman and Chimaev would feature two of the best grapplers in the UFC. Usman, a former NCAA world champion wrestler, would easily be Chimaev’s toughest test of his young UFC career. Usman’s striking has also vastly improved over time, including with his knockout of Jorge Masvidal earlier this year.
Chimaev still likely needs to pick up a few more wins before entering the title conversation, but he has his eyes set on UFC gold and a future battle with Usman.
How close do you believe Khamzat Chimaev is to a UFC welterweight title shot?
