With 31 Days Until Dangerous Khamzat Chimaev Fight, Dana White and Co.’s Decision for Paulo Costa’s Career Questioned by UFC Legend

It’s a great time for the UFC middleweight division. Sean Strickland shocked the world when he beat Israel Adesanya at UFC 293. Not too soon after the title fight upset, there is another war at hand that is about to break out in the middleweight division. The undefeated Khamzat Chimaev is gearing up to fight the Brazilian powerhouse Paulo Costa and the two men clearly do not like each other.

This fight is highly anticipated as the two fighters have been going back and forth for a while now. Chimaev, who has a loud personality, is undefeated in his UFC run. Paulo Costa, on the other hand, is a highly skilled and decorated fighter, who is also loved dearly by fans for his internet presence. The two are scheduled to fight at UFC 294, which will be held in Abu Dhabi, on 21 October. However, UFC Legend Chael Sonnen has a few things to say about this matchup.

Chael Sonnen shares his views on Paulo Costa vs. Khamzat Chimaev

Paulo Costa was supposed to fight Ikram Aliskerov at UFC 291 but the bout was later cancelled. The matchmaker then booked Paulo Costa to fight Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 294. The fight promises to be an exhilarating fireworks show, considering their profiles. Now, with only 31 days left until the showdown, it seems UFC legend Chael Sonnen has a few things to say about the matchup.

“I don’t believe they gave him a great, big, new, shiny, beautiful contract and then said, come to Salt Lake City and take on this Russian kickboxer. And I do not attempt to insult the Russian kickboxer, by the way – Guy’s a total stud. Total stud!“, started Sonnen, talking about Paulo Costa’s ex-opponent, Ikram Aliskerov. He then went on to defend himself for calling Aliskerov the ‘Russian kickboxer’. “But I’m not familiar with him and you guys wouldn’t be either. He never fought on pay-per-view before. He never fought on a main card before. I don’t call him the Russian kickboxer to be condescending to him. I’m telling you what I know about him.“. 

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Costa was supposed to fight Aliskerov but now, he is fighting Chimaev. Apparently, the fight was called off weeks before it was supposed to happen and Costa was placed on a card against Chimaev. Now, Chimaev is the only fighter to have defeated Ikram Aliskerov, which makes this fight more interesting. But why did Dana White and Co. decide to call off the fight against ‘The Russian Kickboxer’?

Chimaev or Costa? Chimaev’s ex-rival weighs in on a potential winner!

Gilbert Burns is one of the very few fighters who actually gave Khamzat Chimaev a really tough time in the ring. The fight between them was a really close one and there were moments where Burns got the better of Chimaev. However, in the end, Chimaev won the fight by decision.

In a recent interview with MiddleEasy on YouTube, Burns weighed in on how he thinks the fight would end and who he has his top dollar in. “I don’t like both of these guys. Double knockout would be the best result but I don’t know. It’s a 50-50 fight.“, he said. However, he also analyzed the fight and said that if Costa could defend takedowns, then Chimaev might be in trouble. He also pointed out that Costa, being a big guy, might pose a threat to Khamzat Chimaev, when it comes to striking. In fact, another UFC legend Michael Bisping has warned Chimaev about Paulo Costa and his ‘secret weapon’.

The fight can go down a hundred ways. However, the unpredictability of UFC fights is what makes the sport so entertaining to watch. Who do you think wins the fight between the two? Will Paulo Costa be the fighter to end Chimaev’s undefeated streak? Let us know in the comments below.

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