ABU DHABI – Kamaru Usman thinks Khamzat Chimaev has lived up to the hype so far.
Usman (20-3 MMA, 15-2 UFC), a former UFC welterweight champion, steps in on short notice to face Chimaev (12-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) in a middleweight bout in Saturday’s UFC 294 co-main event at Etihad Arena. The main card airs on pay-per-view at a special time of 2 p.m. ET following prelims on ESPN+.
Undefeated Chimaev has run through most of his opposition and was dubbed as a future UFC champion since he joined the promotion. Usman has been sold on Chimaev’s talent and gave a cheeky response to Chimaev’s iPhone 5 vs. iPhone 15 Pro Max comparison.