Home/UFC

via Imago

via Imago

Khamzat Chimaev vs Kamaru Usman was a fight that delivered what it promised. While Chimaev brought in the pressure from round 1, Usman tackled it like the champion that he is. Thanks to years of experience, ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ was able to nullify Chimaev’s aggression with grit and skill. After losing a very one-sided first round, Usman found his footing in the later rounds and delivered some nasty shots. However, the fight was always going to go to the better fighter, and at UFC 294, Khamzat Chimaev was that guy. Now, what does this fight mean for the middleweight title picture?

UFC CEO Dana White could not have been happier with how the last-minute fight played out. Soon after the PPV, he came into the press conference to talk about the fight results, title shots, and much more.

Dana White talks about title shots and Chimaev’s condition post-UFC 294

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

After all the fights were over, the UFC informed fans that Khamzat Chimaev had reported a broken hand. The fighter told Megan Olivi that his hand broke during the very first round of his fight against Usman. White answered a question regarding the same during the press conference.

“He said he broke his hand but that’s not confirmed yet,” White said. “Obviously he’s gonna go get x-rays and MRIs and whatever he needs and we’ll figure that out.”

This means that if Chimaev has indeed broken his hand, the slated middleweight title fight against Sean Strickland could take much longer than anticipated. If Chimaev is not available, there are contenders like Dricus Du Plessis itching to have a go at the title. What’s for sure is that the UFC 294 co-main just put the UFC middleweight division on notice. As such White attended questions about the division’s newcomer.

Kamaru Usman stepped up to replace an injured Paulo Costa on a few days’ notice and put up an incredible fight. Both the fighters fought at middleweight and now, maybe one of them could stay in the division.

“Usman?” White asked as he prepared to answer whether he’d like to see Usman stay at middleweight. “That’s up to him. That guy has done it all . . . stepped up, took this fight at 85. Whatever he wants to do I’m good with.”

So perhaps, if Usman stays at middleweight, a scenario where he goes up against the middleweight champion Sean Strickland isn’t so surprising. Clearly, ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ has all of Dana White’s blessings who called the fighter the “greatest welterweight of all time.” So, will Usman really bite down on this opportunity?

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

Dana White had an interesting night

White had to jump into the Octagon out of nowhere to stop a possible scuffle. The UFC CEO went rushing into the cage after Johnny Walker still wanted to fight his opponent Magomed Ankalaev. Walker had sustained a head injury that rendered him a bit confused.

Also Read: Johnny Walker’s Weight, Height and Reach: Everything About the UFC Light Heavyweight

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

“His response was I’m in the desert,” White told the press while talking about Walker’s conversation with the doctor. His fight was called off due to the injury after the doctor concluded that Walker was unfit to keep fighting. He still wanted to go at it and security had to intervene before Dana White came in to calm the fighter down. Which was your favorite fight at UFC 294?

Watch This Story: Islam Makhachev Honored With An Inspiring Gesture From Dana White