Head coach of City Kickboxing Eugene Bareman recently voiced his opinion on a hypothetical battle between Israel Adesanya and Khamzat Chimaev and expressed his dissatisfaction at the mere suggestion of it.At UFC 287, Adesanya knocked out Alex Pereira in the stunning second round to win their fourth encounter in combat sports. After “The Last Stylebender” successfully defended his middleweight belt, rumours about his upcoming opponent have already started.Adesanya may want to think about the name Khamzat Chimaev. Borz called out the Kiwi who was born in Nigeria shortly after his triumph over him last Saturday.
Khamzat Chimaev has clearly established himself as a serious contender for the title, but according to his trainer Eugene Bareman, the Swede of Chechen descent hasn’t done enough to earn a middleweight matchup with Israel Adesanya.
Recent Submission Radio interviewee Bareman commented on rumours that Chimaev might face Israel Adesanya, saying:
Has Khamzat already competed at middleweight? We can’t act foolishly… You’re just undermining everything we’ve stood for, including the organization, the sport, and the sport itself.
Israel Adesanya vs. Khamzat Chimaev: Eugene Bareman on how ‘Borz’ can earn
middleweight title shot
Eugene Bareman outlined Khamzat Chimaev’s requirements for a shot at Israel Adesanya’s middleweight belt in the same interview. Coach Bareman stated to Submission Radio that Chimaev must defeat three unheard-of opponents at the very least in order to compete for the middleweight title like Alex Pereira did: “Fight three unheard-of opponents at the very least, like Pereira, that seems to be… Not that I advocate attacking Khamzat. A terrific fight, in my opinion, would be Khamzat. We love challenges, and he’s a big name and a challenge. I enjoy the challenge, but I’m fighting for the sport, the brand, and the prestige of the UFC.
Khamzat Chimaev is 12-0 and has victories at middleweight and welterweight. ‘Borz’ hasn’t yet faced a middleweight opponent in the top 10 though, and he missed weight in his most recent bout.
Other prospective rivals for Israel Adesanya include middleweight challenger Dricus du Plessis and former light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz. In the wake of UFC 287, Blachowicz, who famously defeated Adesanya, offered to drop to middleweight.to the UFC 287 post-fight news conference, “The Last Stylebender” hinted to a prospective matchup with South African du Plessis but omitted mentioning his name. The No. 6 fighter in the 185-rankings is known as “Stillknocks,” and Adesanya has defeated every opponent placed above him.
