UFC middleweight Jared Cannonier has made it clear that he is willing to fight up-and-coming star Khamzat Chimaev, but only under certain conditions.
‘The Killa Gorilla’ engaged in conversation with members of the media at the post-fight press conference that took place after his dominant performance at UFC Vegas 75. The question of whether or not the 39-year-old should face Khamzat Chimaev came up at one point in the conversation.
Cannonier indicated that he would be interested to fighting ‘Borz’, but only if a victory over him offered the 39-year-old the opportunity to compete for the UFC title:
“He doesn’t even have a ranking in the middleweight division, does he? I am aware of the man’s widespread acclaim. Everyone is interested in watching him perform his act and other related activities. If they phoned me and said, “Hey, Khamzat, for the [number one] contender’s match?,” then I would say yes. So the answer is yes. I’m attempting to locate the book’s title. I’m not just trying to keep you guys entertained with my antics. I am aware of how eager you all are to view it. I have no doubt that it will be a fierce battle. If winning that fight earns me a shot at the crown, then yes. I just got through number three, so now I’m not looking back but rather ahead at what lies ahead. According to Jared Cannonier, “So, if Dana [White] and Hunter [Campbell] say, ‘[Khamzat’s] between you and the champion, that’s something we can talk about.”
Check out the following for Cannonier’s take on the battle vs Khamzat Chimaev:
Alex Behunin
Alex Behunin @AlexBehunin
When I approached Jared Cannonier about the possibility of a fight with Khamzat 518 18, he appeared to be a little bit angry.
The main event of UFC Vegas 75 saw Cannonier competing against Marvin Vettori in a fight that lasted for five rounds. The fight that “The Killa Gorilla” put on was a striking clinic, and it resulted in him setting a record for the most major strikes (241) thrown in a single middleweight contest.
Cannonier was awarded the victory by way of a unanimous decision, as each of the three judges gave him a score of 48-46, 49-45, and 49-45 respectively in the course of the competition.
Khamzat Chimaev states his preferred date for UFC return
Fans of mixed martial arts have not witnessed Khamzat Chimaev competing in the UFC octagon for a considerable amount of time. The Swedish fighter who was born in Chechnya was most recently seen competing at UFC 279 in September of the previous year. Chimaev faced Kevin Holland in a catchweight match at 180 pounds since he was unable to make the welterweight limit to fight Nate Diaz. Chimaev won the catchweight bout through submission in the first round of the fight against Holland.
Since that time, everyone in the mixed martial arts community has been waiting for ‘Borz’ to compete again. In a recent post to his Instagram account, Chimaev expressed his desire for his subsequent bout to take place at UFC 294, which is scheduled to take place in Abu Dhabi on October 21. Chimaev’s post can be found here.
