Khamzat Chimaev exceeded the expectations of the MMA world by dominating his UFC debut to pick up his first promotional win. Chimaev arrived for his UFC debut as an undefeated fighter. He walked out of the Octagon with his professional record of 7-0. During the press conference, he expressed his interest to take out major names including Donald Cerrone, Jorge Masvidal, and Kamaru Usman. Chimaev made a statement as he claimed the Performance of the Night bonus.
John Phillips was due to be fighting Dusko Todorovic on this card. His opponent was forced out for medical reasons and Khamzat Chimaev took the opportunity in short notice. Phillips is coming off his first win in the UFC. 20 of his 22 wins have come by way of knockout and he was looking for a KO right from the start.
The bout started with an immediate head kick by Chimaev followed by a slick takedown. Chimaev immobilizing his opponent’s legs and dominated throughout the round to have a 72-1 striking advantage. In the second round, Chimaev got a takedown 12 seconds in, continued his beatdown, then finished Phillips when he locked in and cranked the choke at 1:12. Chimaev won a performance-of-the-night bonus.
I said to Dana that I wanted to fight next week but my coach… my brother Reza Madadi is in the UFC he is an amazing fighter. He said to me listen to me. We are going to take the fight, we are going to take it easy now not next week. I listen to him now. Might be next month or 1-2 months come back.
Khamzat Chimaev
It is not reasonable to compare Khamzat Chimaev with Khabib Nurmagomedov. Both follow different styles, created an impact on the sport, and have a different career track. Both the fighters are impressive warriors who have a true identity on their own.
However, what makes Khamzat Chimaev unique is that he is truly underrated. It is disappointing that the fighters, journalists, and fans do not have an idea of how terrifying Chimaev could become creating panic among the enemy lines in the coming years.
The legacy of Chimaev will definitely spread across multiple weight classes and I am concerned for the safety of those who are careless enough to challenge him or to stand in his path of carnage in the years to come.
About the author
Hari Bhagirath is the former Chief Creative Officer at BRAVE Combat Federation. Currently, he heads Strategic Relations and Financial Communication for a major Fortune 100 organization. He is also the co-founder of Totem Capital, a private wealth management initiative.
