If there is one word that perfectly encapsulates Khamzat Chimaev, it is intensity! While the undefeated middleweight juggernaut has softened slightly outside the Octagon since welcoming his son last year, he remains an absolute nightmare for opponents inside the cage. The Chechnya-born fighter demonstrated this ferocity once again with his clinical dismantling of former champion Robert Whittaker at UFC 308.
Chimaev’s intensity isn’t limited to fight night alone. According to Xtreme Couture head coach Eric Nicksick, who witnessed Chimaev’s training sessions firsthand, the fighter brings the same relentless energy to everyday preparation. Nicksick, who recently split with former middleweight champion Sean Strickland, recently shared his observations on fellow MMA coach Tim Welch’s podcast.
“What was it like having Khamzat in the room?” Welch asked, which prompted Nicksick to start singing Chimaev’s praises.
“Dude, I thought he made the room better. I thought he really did, man. Like there was an intensity about him, he practices hard, he goes hard, and I think that I liked it. I liked having him, and I really liked having Darren Till with him. Like Till was a f—ing badass, like good energy too, great energy. They all fit in right away, they weren’t trying to take over, they were there to complement the practices and complement the team. I really liked having Khamzat in there and a lot of, like, learning,” he said.
April 9, 2022, Jacksonville, Florida, Jacksonville, FL, United States: JACKSONVILLE, FL – APRIL 9: Khamzat Chimaev celebrates his victory over Gilbert Burns in their Welterweight fight during the UFC 273 event at Vystar Memorial Arena on April 9, 2022, in Jacksonville, Florida, United States. Jacksonville, Florida United States – ZUMAp175 20220409_zsa_p175_152 Copyright: xLouisxGrassex
In fact, watching ‘Borz’ up close made the coach appreciate just how deliberate and calculated Chimaev’s every move was. From the outside, it sometimes seems like the Emirati just goes all out berserk like a madman from the first bell. But according to Nicksick, that is far from the case.
“Just when you sit back and watch some of his rides that he does and the way that he anchors on guys, the way he blends his level changes into a striking, his switch stance series stuff. It’s all very systematic to his style… It was a joy to watch I think we learned a lot from him,” he added. But this intensity and ability to go hard may well cost Chimaev the UFC title, according to the two coaches.
Tim Welch and Eric Nicksick predict Dricus Du Plessis will beat Khamzat Chimaev
Khamzat Chimaev is set for a title shot against reigning middleweight champ Dricus Du Plessis next. When exactly, we don’t know, but there are rumors that the much-awaited, electrifying matchup is being targeted for UFC 318 this July. And Tim Welch, one of the best MMA minds in the world, has an unambiguous prediction that the South African will prevail. The reason? We’ll let the Canelo Alvarez doppelganger explain.
“I’m so curious as to how Khamzat and DDP play out. Like, I feel like DDP’s shoulders, he’s got a smaller neck. I feel like he is going to be able to weather the storm the first two rounds and then start taking off off the third, the fourth, the fifth, taking over,” Welch told Nicksick, who agreed completely. “I do too,” the Xtreme Couture coach said.
UFC 312 SYDNEY, Dricus Du Plessis of South Africa R, punches Sean Strickland of United States during in their middleweight title bout UFC 312 event at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, Sunday, February 9, 2025. ACHTUNG: NUR REDAKTIONELLE NUTZUNG, KEINE ARCHIVIERUNG UND KEINE BUCHNUTZUNG SYDNEY NEW SOUTH WALES AUSTRALIA PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxAUSxNZLxPNGxFIJxVANxSOLxTGA Copyright: xMARKxEVANSx 20250209197108759746
Welch seems to think that Chimaev’s intensity, which has made him nigh unstoppable, would be a liability against ‘DDP’. After all, going all out from the very beginning may be effective. But only if Chimaev can end the fight early. And we know that it does burn a lot of energy. And if the South African champ could get through the initial onslaught where ‘Borz’ will be at his most dangerous, he will have a very good chance of beating Chimaev. What do you think about Eric Nicksick’s revelations about Khamzat Chimaev?
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