Khamzat Chimaev has long maintained the “boogeyman” status in the sport! Not just because of his unblemished record, but because of how he earned it. Other than Gilbert Burns at UFC 273 and Kamaru Usman at UFC 294, ‘Borz’ has mauled most of his opponents. That aura of intimidation follows Chimaev wherever he goes, and it even made a former UFC heavyweight a little uneasy.
The Chechen native’s reputation as one of the scariest fighters doesn’t just stem from his in-cage dominance. It also shows how he pushes elite sparring partners to their limits. Even UFC color commentator Joe Rogan was thoroughly impressed by Chimaev’s grappling, as he said on one of his JRE podcasts: “He’s terrifying! He does it to everybody. He gets a hold of [them], he just ragdolls—even the elite wrestlers.” And he’s not the only one saying it.
Michael Bisping echoed a similar sentiment. ‘The Count’ reflected on his YouTube channel about Darren Till once sharing how Khamzat manhandled everyone in the gym: “As I said Darren Till is out there, I’ve got a bunch of friends out there in Sweden, they’re filming and they are calling me up and saying ‘holy f****** s***, Khamzat is the real deal. So that’s two different people, same reaction. And if that’s still not enough, former UFC heavyweight Brendan Schaub recently revealed a story from Chimaev’s sparring session with #1 lightweight Arman Tsarukyan ahead of UFC 319.
‘Big Brown’ stated during the JAXXON Podcast, “Khamzat looked at me and went like this (intimidating look). I pretended I wasn’t watching them sparring—I just stared at the wall! Bro, I felt like such a b–ch. He was just warming up and looked at me.” Rampage asks: “Why?” Brendan: “I don’t know—he’s scary, bro!”
MMA: UFC 279-Chimaev vs Holland, Sep 10, 2022, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA Khamzat Chimaev red gloves fights Kevin Holland blue gloves during UFC 279 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports, 10.09.2022 20:51:15, 19026316, NPStrans, T-Mobile Arena, Holland, Kevin Holland, MMA PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xJoexCamporealex 19026316
Well, Brendan Schaub might not be kidding! After all, Borz’s gaze might be a bit too intimidating to deal with, especially when he’s grinding hard in preparation for his upcoming championship bout against Dricus du Plessis on August 16. With the fight just a few weeks away, predictions are flying in, and now a very well-known Chicago hero has also shared his take. So, let’s find out what he had to say.
CM Punk backs Khamzat Chimaev to win against Dricus du Plessis at UFC 319
After six long years, the UFC is finally returning to Chicago with a superfight featuring Dricus du Plessis defending the middleweight title against Khamzat Chimaev. And when something that big happens in Chicago, it catches the attention of local hero, WWE legend, and former UFC fighter, CM Punk.
Ahead of UFC 319, Punk seems just as hyped as the rest of us—and yes, he already has a favorite. Speaking on the Good Guy / Bad Guy show, he said, “That’s going to be a wild main event, man. That’s going to be (wild). It’s so hard to bet against Chimaev, you know, especially after what he did to Whittaker. But I think Dricus is smart, probably smarter than a lot of people give him credit for.”
That’s an impressive take from Punk! The fact that he picks Chimaev as his favorite while still giving Dricus credit for his fight IQ shows that. Even though Punk’s own MMA run didn’t work out, the passion for the sport still runs deep. Whether ‘Borz’ walks away with the belt or not, only time will tell.
So, what do you think will happen at UFC 319? Will Khamzat continue his reign as the boogeyman everyone fears? Or will Du Plessis shatter the myth once and for all? Comment down below!
The post Joe Rogan Proven Right as ‘Scary’ Khamzat Chimaev Embarrasses UFC Heavyweight Veteran. appeared first on EssentiallySports.