{"id":622211,"date":"2025-08-18T04:59:37","date_gmt":"2025-08-18T03:59:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/theplayoffs.news\/en\/?p=622211"},"modified":"2025-08-18T04:59:42","modified_gmt":"2025-08-18T03:59:42","slug":"khamzat-chimaev-winning-the-title-might-open-the-doors-for-this-former-champion-and-middleweight","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theplayoffs.news\/en\/khamzat-chimaev-winning-the-title-might-open-the-doors-for-this-former-champion-and-middleweight\/","title":{"rendered":"Khamzat Chimaev Winning The Title Might Open The Doors For This Former Champion And Middleweight"},"content":{"rendered":"

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.<\/p>

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<\/a> 319, that unfinished business between these two fighters might take on a new meaning.<\/p>

Kamaru Usman Performance Against The Boogeyman <\/h2>

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.<\/p>

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.<\/p>

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