Khamzat Chimaev could fall behind in the bid for a UFC title shot after Leon Edwards knocked out Kamaru Usman.
Edwards became UFC welterweight champion with a phenomenal final-round KO victory over Kamaru Usman last weekend, becoming the first man to defeat the Nigerian in his UFC career. The British star had previously lost to Usman but earned his revenge in Utah which has now seen many call for an immediate trilogy fight which will likely take place in the UK.
A whole host of fighters are looking to enforce a title challenge following Edwards' victory including Colby Covington, Chimaev and even Conor McGregor when he returns. However former heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier believes Chimaev will now face the longest wait as he first has to progress beyond Nate Diaz when they meet next month.
"I think last weekend he [Chimaec] did not understand that he was the biggest loser in the Usman versus Leon situation because he was in line," Cormier said when assessing the future of the welterweight division on his YouTube channe l following Edwards' win. 'All he had to do was get past Diaz. All he had to do is get past Diaz and then you fight for the championship.
"But with Leon Edwards winning now, now we got a trilogy and rightfully so. That leads to the question, what is this fight with Diaz for? I feel like for Diaz, this fight is for legacy. I feel like for Chimaev, this is just another scalp on his resume because I don't know if this win necessarily puts him closer than he already is to a championship fight.
"And, because of the result last weekend, he'll need one more. I just wonder who that one more is going to come against. If he beats Diaz, does he get Covington next?" Chimaev hasn't fought since defeating Gilbert Burns which saw him move up to No.2 in the rankings.
However he could now face another two-fight wait for a shot at the title with a trilogy between Usman and Edwards expected first. Then leading contender Covington could force another shot against Edwards, despite having already fought and lost twice to Usman when challenging for the belt.
Jorge Masvidal is also expected to be a key player in the title picture with Edwards keen to settle his war of words with 'Gamebred' after their previously scheduled fight collapsed last year. Edwards has admitted there are plenty of options on the table but a trilogy in the UK looks most likely.
“I don’t know,” Edwards told The MMA Hour. “Whoever, whenever. I’d love to run back Usman, but it has to be in London. But if not, let [Jorge] Masvidal get a few wins.That would be a big fight as well. I’d love to f****** smack his head off him. Colby had two shots, Masvidal had two shots, but little old Leon came in with one shot and head-kicked him. Pound-for-pound, head shot.”
