Khamzat Chimaev has once again set his sights on light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira. The timing is interesting, considering he hasn’t even stepped into the octagon for his upcoming middleweight clash with Robert Whittaker yet. But this callout of the light heavyweight champion is not a standard one. In fact, it is laced with respect and admiration for the Brazilian striker.
Speaking with Michael Bisping in a recent interview, Chimaev displayed an unusually nuanced take on the potential matchup with Pereira. Gone was the typical “kill everybody” bravado. Instead, it was replaced by a surprisingly candid assessment of their respective skills.
“Of course, I’ve been always open for that [fight against Pereira]. I know that stylistically, this match for me is much easier than other guys. But in striking, I’m honest, I know the guy can knock me out…The guy is good striker, one of the best guys with hardest punches. But I’m one of the best grappler, best wrestler, he’s not that.”
Khamzat Chimaev acknowledged Pereira’s knockout power with immense respect. But here’s where Chimaev’s wrestling confidence kicks in as ‘Borz’ couldn’t help but point out the stylistic advantage he believes he would hold over the Brazilian champion.
The most entertaining part of this whole situation is how Khamzat Chimaev manages to both call for a fight and show respect simultaneously. After Pereira’s recent victory over Khalil Rountree at UFC 307, ‘Borz’ had taken to social media with a congratulatory message. For a guy who usually treats social media like a virtual battleground, this show of respect was highly unexpected.
Fight Fans React To Khamzat Chimaev’s Callout Of Alex Pereira
‘Borz’ recently opened up about a potential fight with Alex Pereira. The interesting thing about this callout was Chimaev’s humbleness. After all, this is the same Chimaev who usually communicates in ‘smash-based’ sentences and victory predictions.
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The internet nearly broke when fans caught wind of Chimaev’s surprisingly humble assessment of Pereira’s abilities. Most of the fans were in awe of Khamzat Chimaev’s newly found humbleness. A subset of fans started analyzing how this fight would go if it ever happened. Here are some of the reactions from fight fans:
What makes this whole situation particularly amusing is how a single interview managed to generate so much debate. Whether Khamzat Chimaev’s newfound humility is here to stay or just a temporary glitch in the matrix remains to be seen.
