[autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag] doesn’t doubt [autotag]Khamzat Chimaev[/autotag]’s chances of taking UFC middleweight champion [autotag]Dricus Du Plessis[/autotag] down to the ground.
Chimaev (14-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) dominated former champ Robert Whittaker to earn a first-round submission in Saturday’s UFC 308 co-main event in Abu Dhabi. Usman has first-hand experience of Chimaev’s strength. Usman was taken down and controlled for all of Round 1 of their matchup at UFC 294, but he managed to survive the onslaught. He wound up losing the bout by majority decision after rallying late.
Just like how Chimaev managed to control Whittaker, Usman doesn’t see it going any differently for Du Plessis (22-2 MMA, 8-0 UFC) – but maybe not a finish.
“Khamzat is hell in that first round,” Usman said on his “Pound 4 Pound” podcast with Henry Cejudo. “He is hell when he’s dry like that, and he’s big and strong, and he still moves like a welterweight. It’s hell for anybody. Do I think he can do that to Dricus? I think 100 percent he could take Dricus down.
“I think he can keep him down, but I don’t know if he can get the finish because Dricus is very, very tough. There’s a reason Dricus is the champ. He’s very tough, and Dricus will not stop trying. Will Khamzat take him down? Yes. Could he keep him down? Yes, maybe the whole first round. But can he finish him? I don’t know.”
Chimaev’s performance got middleweight champion Du Plessis’ attention, and he could end up leapfrogging Sean Strickland as No. 1 contender after UFC 308.
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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 308.