Avoiding the Risk of UFC 294 Falling Apart, Khamzat Chimaev and Paulo Costa Fight in Need of One Aspect Due to Major Issues in the Past

Sep 17, 2023 | 7:50 AM EDT

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Is the Khamzat Chimaev vs. Paulo Costa fight not happening? That’s what Chael Sonnen thinks. There are many speculations regarding the upcoming fight at UFC 294 and so far, fans know nothing except for the fight cards. But Sonnen doesn’t believe the cards.

Sonnen feels the co-main event, Chimaev vs. Costa, needs backup fighters in order to give the people what they will come for. Why does the former fighter believe so and is Chimaev vs. Costa in danger?

Chael Sonnen’s gut feeling: What’s cooking with Costa and Chimaev?

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‘Borz’ has failed to make weight before and Chael Sonnen knows this. Back when Khamzat Chimaev was supposed to fight Nate Diaz at UFC 279, the weigh-in blunder ruined fans’ expectations. The Chechen fighter had to face off against Kevin Holland instead. He won, but at what cost? Sonnen suggests that the UFC 294 fight might just not happen.

“Something is weird about this match,” he said in a video on his YouTube channel. “And if I can smell it, you guys can smell, which means the boys on the second floor at the UFC can smell.”

Like Chimaev, Paulo Costa also once missed weight for the Marvin Vettori fight. The Brazilian fighter faced a lot of criticism for it. Now, while Chael Sonnen hasn’t mentioned weight issues as a hindrance to the upcoming UFC 294, he is skeptical about it taking place. The lack of a constantly ongoing beef between the fighters is what is bothering ‘The American Gangster.’ The lingering question is, what happens if the fight doesn’t go down?

“Something is off with Paulo Costa and Khamzat Chimaev, whatever that might be, but the chances that both of them woke up one day and go, you know what, I’m not gonna do any media for this fight. You know what, I’m not gonna call him out,” he said. “Like the chances of them both having a light bulb that comes on, this is the exact same [time] come on.”

The problem here is that the main event does not feature a backup fighter to replace one of the fighters if they fail to make weight. Sonnen pointed out how a backup fighter has not been announced for the co-main event either, which is Chimaev Vs. Costa. Does this put the UFC in trouble? Everyone’s favorite Chael Sonnen seems to think so.

Why does the match need a backup fighter?

Sonnen pointed out how having a backup fighter for the co-main event automatically shows doubt. Usually, backup fighters are only assigned to the main event.

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“We’ve never had a time where we brought in a backup fighter that wasn’t for the main event,” Sonnen explained. If Dana White and Co. bring a backup fighter for Chimaev Vs. Costa, it signals to the audience that that’s the most important fight even though it’s not the main event. It’s obvious why the UFC wouldn’t want to do that. The spotlight must remain on the big fight, but in Sonnen’s opinion, that’s where they’re going wrong.

Also Read: Khamzat Chimaev Reveals the Mystery Behind “Smash Everybody” Catchphrase in the UFC

“What I have a problem with is, the fear of potentially doing that [highlighting co-main event] and therefore we don’t bring a backup fighter for the co-main event, which is the match everybody wants to see because that’s the one that’s in jeopardy.”

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One thing is pretty clear, Sonnen is perfectly sure that something is off about the much-desired matchup. Bringing in a backup fighter would still be their best bet, so at least the audience doesn’t have to look at an empty cage. What do you feel? Let us know in the comments.

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