Khamzat Chimaev has told UFC champion Kamaru Usman he could only survive a fight with Canelo Alvarez if the length of the bout was one second.
Pound-for-pound No.1 Usman has called for a crossover fight against boxing's biggest star in Alvarez. 'The Nigerian Nightmare' wants to defend his welterweight title against Leon Edwards in the summer and then fight Alvarez on Mexican Independence Day in September.
UFC boss Dana White has been critical of his No.1 fighter crossing over into the boxing ring, stating he doesn't like the "horrible" fight. White recognises Usman is serious about the fight but thinks it's a " stupid idea ".
Chimaev has dismissed his rival's call-out of Alvarez, telling ' Triple C & The Schmo ': "You have to be realistic, brother... I can't say I can beat in boxing and Canelo because I'm not a stupid guy.
"I don't understand how it works, the guy [Canelo] all his life did boxing... he killed so many good guys, how you [Usman] can say 'I'm gonna beat [or] knock him out'? Only one way [Usman can] fight Canelo, if they make the fight [for] 1 second. Just like, you know, start and finish. Then you can survive."
Alvarez thinks Usman is in search of a payday to fight him. The undisputed super middleweight champion will move back up to light heavyweight for his next fight as he challenges WBA titleholder Dmitry Bivol.
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If Alvarez gets through Bivol, a trilogy between him and Gennady Golovkin is lined up for September, coinciding with the date Usman has challenged the Mexican to fight. Alvarez and Golovkin fought to a split draw in their first fight, with Alvarez winning the rematch by majority decision.
Usman has scoffed at claims that Alvarez is unbeatable and compared himself to the likes of Holly Holm and Buster Douglas when discussing an upset win over the Mexican.
“See, that’s the thing about this crazy thing that we do; sports, and not just sports; fighting. No one knows the size of the dog inside you, no one knows it. When you tell people your plans they’re not going to believe it because they don’t see it," Usman told ESPN MMA.
"They can’t do it, they don’t do what you do, they don’t walk in your shoes, they don’t walk in your heart and your energy each and every day, no one knows that, no one sees it. I’ve said it; everything, I’ve said it, I’ve manifested it. There’s a lion inside here, a Nigerian African lion that people don’t really understand.”
