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Kamaru Usman believes Khamzat Chimaev’s repeated calls for a move up in weight may be a clear sign that the undefeated star is once again struggling to make the middleweight limit.
Despite having yet to defend his UFC middleweight title, Chimaev continues to target reigning light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira. Chimaev (15-0 MMA, 9-0 UFC) captured the 185-pound belt in dominant fashion against Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 319, but his focus already appears to be shifting beyond the division.
Usman, who pushed Chimaev to a majority decision on short notice at UFC 294, sees the pursuit of Pereira (13-3 MMA, 10-2 UFC) as more than just ambition.
“For Khamzat Chimaev to keep calling him out, I think it shows that he may have outgrown the weight class again,” Usman said on the Pound 4 Pound podcast alongside Henry Cejudo. “Now he’s probably thinking, ‘Let me go to a division where I can actually make the weight and chase another title.’ There are all kinds of rumors saying he’s walking around at 230, 225 — whatever it is. Khamzat is a big guy. He’s always been a big guy. The fact that he was even making 170 was just as crazy as when Anthony Johnson was doing it.”
Usman compared Chimaev’s situation to that of Johnson, who famously struggled with weight cuts early in his career.
“Anthony Johnson was making 170, then moved up, fought at 185 maybe once, and I think he even missed weight there before finally settling at 205,” Usman explained. “I think Khamzat might be in that same ballpark, which is probably why he’s calling for ‘Poatan.’ And if that’s the case, I get it. It actually makes sense. If you’ve outgrown the division, why destroy your body trying to make a weight you can no longer hit?”
Chimaev has also been vocal about not wanting to defend his middleweight title against top contender Nassourdine Imavov, a fellow Russian.
“And if I move up and win that title,” Usman added, “that opens the door for another Russian like Nassourdine Imavov to win the middleweight belt or at least fight for it. So hey, there might be some chess being played here.”
