In the co-main event of UFC 279 from Las Vegas, Khamzat Chimaev successfully submitted Kevin Holland in the first round to put an end to an upsetting weekend.
As soon as the bell rang, Chimaev jumped on a takedown attempt, forcing Holland to scramble barely to survive. The action was fast-paced and aggressive from the get-go. Within the next few minutes, The pressure got to Holland and he eventually tapped.
Prior to this catchweight match, he had previously competed twice in the middleweight category and three times at welterweight in the UFC. In the post-fight press conference, Robert Whitaker was mentioned as a potential opponent for him in future. To which, he stated, “I like that guy, so I don’t want to fight good guys”
He further added that instead of fighting him he wants to train with him. He mentioned, “I want to train with that guy. He’s really good, like one of the best guys in the world. I was watching his fight. … I’m a big fan, so I watch all things.”
Prior to Chimaev’s most recent triumph, Whittaker returned to winning ways with a magnificent performance of his own just one week earlier. In the co-main event of UFC Paris, the Australian made progress against Marvin Vettori.
He was asked about Chimaev’s offer and whether he will be interested to train with him. To which he stated, “Definitely,[Him wanting to train together] is a compliment. I’d like to work with him because anyone that can implement gameplans the way he has, and obviously, his wrestling and grappling is top tier. He’s trained with the likes of [Darren] Till as well. Yeah, one day hopefully our paths cross and we can get some good work together.”
The future of Khamzat Chimaev in the middleweight division
UFC president Dana White said Chimaev’s next bout might be at 185 pounds due to the issues his weight missed caused at this event.
If that is the case, it would be interesting to see if the fighter would be as dominant as he was at welterweight. Although, he has competed in the middleweight division in the UFC, it has not been against the cream of the division. Weight, length, reach and all these attributes play a massive role in a bout. Will it affect the bout against Khamzat only time can tell. The fans can sit back and watch the cards unfold.