Khamzat Chimaev has been warned middleweight contender Robert Whittaker has the tools to hand him his first UFC defeat.
Chimaev recently defeated late replacement Kevin Holland at UFC 279 earlier this month, having been forced to abandon his clash with Nate Diaz after missing the 170lb weight limit. The Chechen star is now instead eyeing a switch to middleweight where some huge names could await his challenge including current division champion Israel Adesanya.
'Style Bender' has suggested that Chimaev could need wins against other contenders to cement his name as the leading challenger to his crown, which has seen the rising star call out Colby Covington. However UFC referee John McCarthy believes that Chimaev could be beaten by either Paulo Costa or Whittaker if the opportunity arises to face either fighter.
"Absolutely! Paulo Costa is calling him [Chimaev] out," McCarthy said when assessing Chimaev's future at middleweight during an episode of the Weighing In podcast. "He [Costa] might [beat Chimaev], but Robert Whittaker will beat him [Chimaev]. Robert Whittaker will beat him. Do I think he [Costa] has got a good chance of beating Khamzat? He's got a good chance of beating Khamzat."
Chimaev is considered one of the UFC's brightest prospects and is yet to be defeated during his remarkable march to being ranked No.3 in the welterweight division. It was expected the 28-year-old could look to challenge Kamaru Usman in due course for the belt, but this now looks delayed with the Nigerian dethroned by Leon Edwards which will now likely lead on to a trilogy bout.
The current middleweight champion Israel Adesanya is in imperious form having not yet lost at 185lb, but will face a stern test against Alex Pereira next time out. Chimaev believes he has the tools to defeat Adesanya if he makes the switch, with a lack of weight cut likely to be more comfortable for the Swedish star.
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"Yeah, I'm ready for him," Chimaev told former UFC champion Henry Cejudo on his YouTube channel when assessing a leap up in weight to face Adesanya. "I still don't know when I see his last fight, I told the guys, 'He's an easy fight for me.' How he fights, how he fights a guy. It's like, for me, makes comfortable when I see the fight.
"He gets taken down and then he gives his back to the guy who's not a wrestler, not like ground guy. All his fights he's doing only standup. What's his name? Robert Whittaker take his back. When I see that, if I take his back, I'll take off his head."
Adesanya has previously responded to a potential challenge from Chimaev, adding: "I don’t have to take him seriously until I have to take him seriously and that’s a guy that definitely I'd like to fight if he does what he says he wants to do," he told True Geordie. Because guess what? He’ll bring in a lot of eyes. That's how it all starts, those are the ones who are crazy enough to make it happen. He's on his way, but show me something first.”
