UFC is known for building up stars, who carry the potential to take over the division and explode in popularity. Fighters like Ronda Rousey, Conor McGregor, Sean O’Malley, Israel Adesanya, and more carry that x-factor that makes them extremely marketable.
These superstars help drive more sales, bringing in massive revenue for the promotion, and it looks like Swedish fighter, Khamzat ‘The Wolf’ Chimaev is going to be the next big name.
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Chimaev hasn’t faced serious competition in his young career, but his performance has definitely stated that he is special. With a highlight reel that features KO’s over Gerald Meerschaert and Rhys McKee, and a dominating 1 round finish over Li Jingliang, The Wolf is ready to strike once more in 2022.
Chimaev will now focus on claiming the welterweight gold and is preparing for his next fight.
A recent Twitter post from BT Sport has highlighted his training session, where the superstar can be seen grappling with another promotion’s champion. In the video tweet below, fans can witness Bellator’s welterweight champion, Yaroslav Amosov, training with ‘The Wolf.’
🐺 @kchimaev getting to grips with Bellator welterweight champ, Yaroslov Amosov 🤼♂️
📽 Khamzat Chimaev pic.twitter.com/s8T231XeaN
— UFC on BT Sport (@btsportufc) January 26, 2022
Who should Khamzat Chimaev face next?
Despite getting called out by multiple top-rated welterweight fighters, the promotion hasn’t booked his return just yet. Dana White previously claimed that nobody wants to fight Chimaev, and he doesn’t blame them for that. However, since then, Gilbert Burns and Neil Magny have called the Swedish fighter out via social media.
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White acknowledged those call-outs and seemed pretty excited to book a clash between Mangy and Chimaev. Sadly, no news about that fight has since come out as both fighters are still waiting for an update.
It is quite obvious that Chimaev is ready for much tougher competition, but UFC cannot afford to lose another potential superstar by pushing him too early. However, the Swedish fighter has made a great case for himself and is keenly looking forward to facing serious competition.
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The welterweight division has found yet another dominant champion, Kamaru Usman, who has already cleaned the division out and is looking for fresh faces to fight. Chimaev’s rise could set the stage for the next generation of fighters to face the dominant world champion.