Khamzat Chimaev looks on from his corner during a welterweight bout against Gilbert Burns during UFC 273 at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida on on April 9, 2022.

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Khamzat Chimaev Winning The Title Might Open The Doors For This Former Champion And Middleweight

Khamzat Chimaev looks on from his corner during a welterweight bout against Gilbert Burns during UFC 273 at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida on on April 9, 2022.

The welterweight division has been searching for its next stable king ever since Kamaru Usman lost his title to Leon Edwards. Usman’s reign was legendary, stretching over multiple years and featuring dominant victories against elite competition. But the ‘Nigerian Nightmare’ hasn’t just been sitting around feeling sorry for himself after losing his crown. He’s been exploring new opportunities and testing himself in different ways. One of those tests came at UFC 294 when he agreed to fight Khamzat Chimaev at middleweight on just nine days’ notice.

That short notice fight against Chimaev was supposed to be a quick payday for Usman before returning to his welterweight title chase. Nobody expected it to become one of the most significant fights of his career. The bout was only three rounds, but it revealed something important about both fighters. Usman showed he could hang with one of the sport’s most feared grapplers, while Chimaev admitted afterward that it was his toughest fight to date. Many experts and fans believed Usman would have won if the fight had gone the full five rounds. Now that Chimaev has captured the middleweight title with his dominant performance over Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 319, that unfinished business between these two fighters might take on a new meaning.

Kamaru Usman Performance Against The Boogeyman

Usman’s performance against Chimaev at UFC 294 was nothing short of remarkable when fans consider the circumstances. Taking a fight against arguably the most dangerous up-and-comer in the sport with less than two weeks’ preparation seems like career suicide. But Usman didn’t just survive. He thrived in many moments of that contest. His veteran experience and superior conditioning began to show as the fight progressed, and Chimaev visibly slowed down in the later rounds.

The former welterweight champion used his excellent takedown defense and boxing skills to neutralize much of Chimaev’s early aggression. While Chimaev managed to secure takedowns and control portions of the fight, Usman never looked overwhelmed or out of place at the higher weight class. His ability to stuff takedown attempts and land clean strikes on the feet proved that his skills translate well to middleweight. The fight ended with many observers feeling that Usman was building momentum and would have taken over if given two more rounds to work.

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Chimaev’s admission that this was his hardest fight speaks volumes about Usman’s performance. The Chechen fighter had been steamrolling through opponents with relative ease before running into the former welterweight king. Usman’s combination of wrestling defense, cardio, and experience created problems that Chimaev hadn’t faced before. That blueprint for success against the current middleweight champion still exists, and Usman might be the only fighter who has already proven it can work.

A New Path To Championship Gold

Since that fight with Chimaev, Usman has returned to welterweight and defeated Joaquin Buckley in impressive fashion. He’s currently pursuing another shot at the 170 pound title, but that division remains crowded with contenders (currently Islam Makhachev, Shavkat Rakhmonov and Belal Muhammad). Jack Della Maddalena currently holds the belt, and there are several fighters ahead of Usman in the queue for title shots. The path back to welterweight gold might be longer and more complicated than Usman wants to endure at this stage of his career.

Khamzat Chimaev shows respect to Kamaru Usman and calls him one of the best guys he's ever faced 💪

"Kamaru is one of the best guys who I faced. He has been #1 pound-for-pound… when I beat him, everyone's talking about 'he's not that good', but that guy is crazy good.

If I… pic.twitter.com/asJlofE53D
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) October 22, 2024

Moving up to middleweight permanently could offer Usman a more direct route to championship success. His performance against Chimaev proved he belongs in that weight class, and his wrestling credentials would make him a nightmare matchup for most middleweights. His cardio advantage would be even more pronounced against larger opponents who typically carry more muscle mass.

But the most important aspect would be his UFC 294 fight against Chimaev. That is proof enough that he can hang in there with ‘Borz’ and this is a fight that fans would love to see again. Usman’s performance gained much more significance after Chimaev’s domination of Du Plessis. ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ has always been drawn to the biggest challenges in his career. The allure of becoming a two division champion would cement his legacy as one of the greatest fighters of all time.

(Image Credit: Corey Perrine – Imagn Images)

Dricus Du Plessis

Kamaru Usman

Khamzat Chimaev

UFC 294

UFC 319

Zaid Quraishi

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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!