Following Kamaru Usman‘s frustration with making a fight against Khamzat Chimaev happen at welterweight, Chimaev has responded, suggesting that he is willing to fight Usman at middleweight (185 pounds) instead. Usman has been adamant about fighting at 170 pounds, where he was a dominant champion, while Chimaev has contemplated a move up to middleweight due to difficulties in cutting weight for welterweight.
Chimaev took to Twitter to challenge Usman, stating that if he wants to fight at middleweight, there should be no problem with the weight for him. He referred to himself as the “wolf” and Usman as the “boogeyman” of the division, urging him to move up and face him.
However, it seems that there are still obstacles to overcome in making the fight happen, particularly regarding the weight class disagreement between the two fighters.
Chimaev has not competed in the UFC since September when his weight-cutting issues led to a last-minute change in opponent from Nate Diaz to Kevin Holland. Despite the setbacks, Chimaev is considered one of the top prospects in the sport and made a significant impact at welterweight with his victory over Gilbert Burns in April 2022.
If Chimaev is unwilling to make the cut down to welterweight again, it appears unlikely that a fight against Usman will materialize unless they can find a compromise on the weight class.