UFC middleweight star Khamzat Chimaev showcased the purest form of his relentless grappling skills last week at Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Arena after stepping into the octagon for the first time in nearly a year. He finished former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker in a ‘jaw-dropping’ way in under a round, reigniting the Chenchen prospect’s hype that had seemed to falter because of his repeated fight withdrawals caused by illness.

Now back on the right track, Borz’ is reunited with his initial wrestling coach, Salim Selbievich, and is ready to make waves again in the promotion, where he aims to become a headache for all the other 185fers. Is this what prepares him to go toe-to-toe against light heavyweight king Alex Pereira? Well, ‘Team Khabib’ coach Javier Mendez thinks so. Let’s see what the AKA head coach has to say about the dominant middleweight star.

Is Khamzat Chimaev a potential headache for Alex Pereira?

“Yes,” if we take into account ‘Team Khabib’ head coach Javier Mendez, who has years of expertise in developing and nurturing fighters like Khabib Nurmagomedov, Cain Velasquez, and Islam Makhachev. This wealth of knowledge allows him to make informed predictions regarding the future of the fight world.

Recently, while speaking on the Submission Radio YouTube channel, Mendez predicted that he sees Khamzat Chimaev walking over “a lot of people, even in the light heavyweight division.” This comment caught the host’s interest, who probed the coach on whether this included Alex Pereira.

Interestingly, Coach Mendez offered the possibility of Khamzat Chimaev derailing ‘Poatan’, stating, “In the 185 and the light heavyweight division, it’s a fun fight. And I’ll tell you why: because if they’re not good enough, Khamzat’s going to dispose of them right away. He’s not gonna play with his food. That guy’s unbelievable; he just eats quick. It’s done. It’s done.”

Since his debut in the promotion, Alex Pereira has become a nightmare in his division, derailing everyone who came in his way. With his impressive endurance and ability to carry fights to the finish in rounds 1 to 5, Pereira has developed a mystical persona, only truly challenged by Israel Adesanya once in the middleweight division. This serves as a significant motivation for an ambitious fighter like ‘Borz’. It will be interesting to see how Chimaev views the prospect of competing in the light heavyweight division.

Chimaev’s ambition after dismantling Robert Whittaker

Khamzat Chimaev’s back-to-back dominant outings in the 185lbs division raise questions about whether he could be just as disruptive in the light heavyweight division. Last night, after showcasing an absolute masterclass against Robert Whittaker in the dry land of Abu Dhabi, ‘Borz’ finished the fight in his usual first-round fashion, pushing Bobby Knuckles further down the rankings and even knocking his teeth back.

Following the event, during the post-fight press conference, a reporter asked Khamzat Chimaev if he was willing to move up to the 205-pound weight class to face the champion, Alex Pereira. ‘Borz’ confirmed, stating, “If they give me another fight in my weight, I need to take the belt. Then, I’m going to think about this as well.”

Despite currently being ranked #13 in the middleweight division, the Chenchen native has big plans that are yet to come true, but he may not be too far from facing the current middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis. He will likely get a chance in his next outing or will probably face the winner of Strickland-Du Plessis 2. After that, he will be able to shift gears to the 205-pound division, but he recently hinted at retirement at the age of 35 in a recent interview.

Now, time will tell how the story of Khamzat Chimaev, 30, will unfold as he aims to take over three divisions in his remaining five years in the promotion. Stay tuned for further updates.