Undefeated UFC welterweight sensation Khamzat Chimaev improved to 10-0 with 10 nasty finishes by steamrolling 170-pound veteran Li Jingliang as part of the UFC 267 main card last weekend on “Fight Island” in Abu Dhabi.
The performance was good enough to land “Borz” at No. 10 on the official rankings.
Former interim welterweight champion Colby Covington, however, remains unimpressed by the new kid on the block. Probably because an “emotional” Chimaev nearly retired from MMA after struggling to overcome a debilitating case of COVID-19.
“‘Cumshot’ Chimaev, he’s got a lot more work than get three fights in the UFC,” Covington told MMA Junkie at the UFC 268 media day. “You guys hype these guys up real quick, but let’s not forget that he was put down by the common cold. He was ready to retire off the common cold. That’s a 99.9 percent survival rate to beat the common cold. ‘Cumshot’ Chimaev was ready to give it up and retire. He doesn’t want to fight me. He has a way less chance than 99.9 percent chance against me.”
Covington (16-2) is looking to capture the 170-pound title when he goes to war with Kamaru Usman atop the UFC 268 pay-per-view (PPV) event this Sat. night (Nov. 6) in New York City, a rematch from their UFC 245 title fight that ended in favor of “The Nigerian Nightmare.”
“Chaos” remains a sizable betting underdog.
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CHAMPIONSHIP DOUBLEHEADER! Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) returns to the world famous Madison Square Garden in New York City with a compelling pair of world championship rematches on Sat., Nov. 6, 2021. Headlining UFC 268’s blockbuster pay-per-view (PPV) will be Welterweight champion Kamaru Usman as he looks to defend his title once again against arch enemy and No. 1-ranked contender, Colby Covington. The co-main event will see UFC women’s Strawweight queenpin, Rose Najamunas, aim to make it two in a row against former champion and No. 1-seeded contender, Zhang Weili.
As for Chimaev, his next opponent remains up in the air, though it should be noted that promotion president Dana White is hoping to finagle a Nate Diaz fight — assuming the Stockton slapper would agree to face one of the most dangerous wrestlers at 170 pounds.
Hopefully we’ll find out in the coming weeks.