Sep 10, 2022; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Khamzat Chimaev (red gloves) fights Kevin Holland (blue gloves) during UFC 279 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

mma

Khamzat Chimaev Eyes Alex Pereira Showdown; Calls It A “Good Matchup” At Light Heavyweight!

Sep 10, 2022; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Khamzat Chimaev (red gloves) fights Kevin Holland (blue gloves) during UFC 279 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Most fighters celebrate their championship wins and enjoy the moment before thinking about what’s next. They take time to recover, let their bodies heal, and savor the accomplishment they worked so hard to achieve. But Khamzat Chimaev isn’t like most fighters. The man doesn’t believe in taking breaks or settling into comfortable routines.

Just weeks after capturing the UFC middleweight championship with a dominant victory over Dricus du Plessis at UFC 319, ‘Borz’ is already looking ahead. And he’s not just thinking about defending his new belt against contenders in his own division. Chimaev has his sights set on something much bigger and much more dangerous. He wants to move up to light heavyweight and challenge Alex Pereira, who just knocked out Magomed Ankalaev in 80 seconds at UFC 320.

Khamzat Chimaev Confident About Alex Pereira Matchup

Khamzat Chimaev (15-0) called this fight a good matchup at light heavyweight, despite the obvious dangers involved. Speaking with Arslanbek Badaev recently, Chimaev expressed genuine interest in fighting for a second championship belt. He specifically mentioned that Pereira represents a very favorable stylistic matchup for him, with one important caveat that could change everything.

“If you ask me, of course, I would love to fight for the second belt. It’s not a secret, the guy (Alex Pereira) who has got the belt at 205lbs now is a very good matchup for me, expect if I should get reckless standing with him.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by RED CORNER MMA (@redcorner.mma)

‘Borz’ admitted that his only real concern involves getting reckless while standing and trading with ‘Poatan’. Everyone knows Pereira possesses devastating knockout power that has sent multiple opponents crashing to the canvas unconscious. The Brazilian’s striking credentials from his kickboxing days speak for themselves. He has dropped and finished elite fighters with single shots that looked almost effortless.

Chimaev has never been edged out in the power department himself throughout his career. The undefeated Chechen has walked through shots from dangerous strikers before and kept moving forward relentlessly. His confidence isn’t just bravado; it’s backed by years of dominating opponents across multiple weight classes. But Pereira is different. His power remains his biggest asset and Chimaev is giving him the respect he deserves.

Meanwhile, Dana White seems hopeful about booking Chimaev against any combination of top middleweight contenders in the coming months. That means ‘Borz’ probably needs to defend his belt at least once or twice before he can pursue Pereira. But knowing Chimaev’s relentless nature and desire for legacy-defining fights, fans won’t be surprised if he keeps pushing publicly for that Pereira showdown.

(Image Credit: Joe Camporeale – Imagn Images)

Alex Pereira

Khamzat Chimaev

Zaid Quraishi

mma

I am a dedicated MMA and Boxing content writer at The Playoffs. I was instantly hooked on MMA after watching the fight between Lyoto Machida vs. Gegard Mousasi back in 2014, and since then, i have been an avid writer with a deep love for the sport and its techniques, providing readers with a thorough understanding of the sport. My favorite aspect of working at The Playoffs is the creative freedom it provides. The diverse range of topics, from listicles and SEO to news articles, keeps me engaged and motivates me to continuously improve my skills! I aim to capture the excitement of the combat sports world in my writing, acting as the middleman between fighters and their die-hard fans. It is kind of like a referee, but with words!