Not a dream. Not an imaginary story. Sure, Khamzat Chimaev is definitely about to combat for a UFC title.
There are nonetheless a number of days till Chimaev makes the stroll out at United Middle in Chicago to problem middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis within the UFC 319 essential occasion, however assuming all the pieces goes as deliberate (it’s Khamzat, what might go fallacious???) we’re about to both see the ascendance of probably the most hyped fighters in current historical past or a brutal actuality examine courtesy of arguably the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter on the planet.
UFC 319 is perhaps leaning closely on its headliner, however what a matchup it’s, and MMA Preventing’s, Alexander Ok. Lee, Mike Heck, and Jed Meshew are more than pleased to dissect probably the most extremely anticipated combat of the summer time. Plus, we dig deeper into the lineup to select our favourite undercard fights.
1. Is that this Khamzat Chimaev’s final probability to show he’s actually elite?
Lee: I don’t see how Khamzat Chimaev bounces again from a loss right here.
Which may sound hyperbolic provided that I’ve lengthy touted Chimaev as the perfect fighter on the planet when he truly makes it to the cage, however that is what we’ve been ready for since he tore up Struggle Island and regarded like a future legend simply three fights into his UFC profession. If he falters towards Dricus du Plessis, the critics can be out in full pressure. And will probably be troublesome to quiet them, given the aura of invincibility Chimaev has fortunately cultivated, and the way not often Chimaev truly fights. Except his schedule drastically modifications, it’s going to be some time earlier than he will get an opportunity to erase the frustration of a loss.
Then once more, there’s nothing to fret about, as a result of Chimaev goes to win like he at all times does and as soon as he has UFC gold round his waist, the sky is really the restrict.
Heck: It’s robust to say for positive, however for sure, persons are going to leap off of the bandwagon if he loses.
It took so, so lengthy for Chimaev to get booked for a title combat when many believed he was an uncrowned champion after knocking out Gerald Meerschaert. The UFC has put him in lots of positions to be in a showcase spot to recover from the hump, and after breaking Robert Whittaker’s face at UFC 308, he now has his probability to recover from the end line.
There’s rather a lot on the road for “Borz” on Saturday. If he wins, the rockets are going to be strapped to him for the foreseeable future. If he loses, he’ll must get again on the horse shortly and constantly to get that good will again.
Meshew: No, it’s not his final probability. However a loss actually could be a tricky capsule to swallow.
Chimaev’s profession has been one of many extra distinctive ones in current reminiscence. When he burst onto the scene everybody anticipated him to dash proper to a title and an all-time nice profession, however that hasn’t fairly occurred. And that’s why it feels like that is do-or-die for Chimaev, as a result of it appears like this can be a very long time coming. However really, Chimaev continues to be simply 31 years previous, and doesn’t have that many fights below his belt.
If this have been one other fighter, say Bo Nickal, we’d view a loss to DDP as a setback and a possibility for enchancment. I believe the identical holds true for Chimaev. When he loses on Saturday (calling my shot) it gained’t be the tip of his profession, however the begin of the subsequent part of his profession.
2. Does Dricus du Plessis have a case to be No. 1 P4P if he wins?
Meshew: Sure. And I plan on rating him as such when he does.
Don’t get me fallacious, I believe there’s not a fallacious solution to eat the pound-for-pound Reese’s proper now. If you wish to select any of six fighters (DDP, Islam Makhachev, Ilia Topuria, Alexandre Pantoja, Merab Dvalishvili, Tom Aspinall) I’m not gonna combat you too onerous on it. However of these fighters, ought to DDP win, he’s on the perfect run in current historical past. That’s 4 former champions — two he slaughtered, one he busted up badly — after which the Boogeyman of the division, a man who has barely had a punch landed on him in his profession.
Nevertheless it gained’t final for lengthy. I’m of the opinion that the pound-for-pound listing must be super-fluid, fluctuating to mirror the highest fighters within the speedy recency, so if Islam goes up and dummies Jack Della Maddalena, then he takes over, and on the carousel spins.
Lee: With Islam Makhachev in between divisions (and presumably about to run headlong into disappointment when he challenges welterweight champ Jack Della Maddalena), Ilia Topuria nonetheless needing to show he’s the true No. 1 light-weight on the planet, and Alexandre Pantoja and Merab Dvalishvili steadily being neglected for combating within the lightest males’s divisions, the door is clearly open for du Plessis to cost via if he conquers Chimaev.
I’m at all times going to lean into 170 kilos and below being MMA’s deepest divisions, however a run of wins over Chimaev, Strickland (twice), Israel Adesanya, and Robert Whittaker simply appears to be like ridiculous on paper. That’s an all-time run, proper?
For me, DDP even passes the theoretical take a look at of how he would fare towards the perfect in different divisions if dimension and power have been comparatively equal. His inimitable hammer-and-tongs model interprets to any weight class. Simply think about his unorthodox strategy at heavyweight, or a hulking 125-pound model of du Plessis. Make all of the memes you need, du Plessis is only a flat-out nice fighter.
And after UFC 319, possibly the perfect fighter on the planet.
Heck: He’ll completely have a case with any win, and I consider he’ll get some votes in our panel if he does beat Chimaev. If he simply wrecks Chimaev, I believe it’s robust to argue towards him.
The run DDP has been on is fairly ridiculous if you have a look at it. From ending Whittaker in such emphatic style, to beating Strickland twice — as soon as in such lopsided style — to placing Israel Adesanya away, after which Chimaev? That’s one hell of a streak he’ll be on, particularly when you think about how revered Chimaev has been within the MMA neighborhood for his rugged skillset.
Ought to du Plessis blow the doorways off of Chimaev, he’ll probably transfer to No. 1 for me. A win actually places him in a nicely thought out dialogue.
3. What’s probably the most compelling combat exterior of the primary occasion?
Heck: I’ll take the low-hanging fruit, gents. It’s Aaron Pico’s UFC debut.
We knew today would come, and now he will get the unbeaten Lerone Murphy within the co-main occasion of the cardboard. Sure, we noticed Patricio Pitbull and Patchy Combine come over from PFLator with fairly a little bit of hype, however Pico’s entrance into the UFC appears on a special degree.
The UFC initially put him able to face — and, maybe, remedy certainly one of their large points at 145 — Movsar Evloev earlier than they needed to swap issues up. A win over Evloev would’ve just about assured Pico a title shot in his subsequent combat. That is actually a special sort of matchup, nevertheless it looks as if the right one for his octagon debut.
On the flip aspect, Murphy has form of been painted with the identical brush Evloev has by the fan base, which is perhaps a contact unfair contemplating he has had some nice showings and a few enjoyable fights. If he can deal with Pico, that may be a large feather in his cap to the hardcore fan base. In fact, a number of the newer followers will play the, “Hey, he was from PFLator, now that is the UFC” card, however make no mistake about it, Murphy leaping on this chance is an excellent, albeit dangerous transfer. Fascinated by this one in various methods.
Meshew: I imply, can something be thought-about compelling within the context of going up towards the primary occasion this weekend? No. But when I needed to decide one different combat that I’d I shove a toddler to look at, it’s the featured welterweight scrap between Geoff Neal and Carlos Prates.
Right here’s the factor, everybody is aware of about Carlos Prates now. The person is violence personified into one cool dude, who rips Marlboro reds and provides zero effs. He and your entire Preventing Nerds staff turned beloved by having a gimmick and beating the souls out of people. So anytime he fights it’s clearly must-see TV.
However persons are sleeping on Geoff Neal. Neal’s been a battle horse on this division for a very long time, and he’s given elite fighters all they’ll deal with. Shavkat Rakhmonov went hammer and tongs with Neal for 14 minutes, and Ian Machado Garry barely scraped out a win. He’s the sort of dude who’s going to make life onerous on anybody he’s up towards, so I anticipate Neal vs. Prates to be a stone-cold heater of a matchup.
Lee: This card is packed with-respectfully-old heads and that’s completely exemplified by the preliminary nearer between previous heads King Inexperienced and Diego Ferreira. This matchup falls comfortably below the “Wait, these guys have by no means fought earlier than?” class.
UFC 319 is being dogged for a scarcity of fights with any actual implications, however typically it’s simply enjoyable to see two professionals go in there and placed on a present, rattling the implications. At 38 and 40, respectively, King and Ferreira are nowhere close to the title image and you already know what? That’s OK. I simply need to see two well-rounded and hard-hitting veterans which can be nonetheless in it for the love of the sport throw down with satisfaction and a second paycheck on the road.
To not point out the truth that we don’t understand how for much longer Inexperienced and Ferreira plan to compete, so this could possibly be one of many final instances we see both of them. They’re an necessary a part of the earlier era of nice lightweights and any alternative we’ve got to indicate them our appreciation, we must always take it.
