Undefeated Khamzat Chimaev has thus far given every impression of being the next big middle and welterweight sized thing. The former BRAVE CF contender began fighting as an amateur in September of 2017, going 3-0 before turning pro and going 2-0 on the regional scene in Sweden. He then signed with BRAVE and went 4-0, fighting in Bahrain, India, Jordan, and Abu Dhabi. Then “Borz” (Wolf) signed with the UFC.
He had a spectacular showing in his first two fights, setting a new record for back to back fights in the post-tournament incarnation of the sport at just 10 days, dispatching both opponents in Round 1 and earning back-to-back performance bonuses, at middleweight and welterweight. Although both opponents (John Phillips and Rhys McKee) are good fighters, some fans still weren’t on board. Then the UFC matched Chimaev with Gerald Meerschaert, and he won in 17 seconds. In three fights, Chimaev had taken just two punches, and set the record for the fastest three wins in league history.
There are still some fans who are not convinced, but the next fight, if it’s a win, will establish incontrovertibly that Khamzat Chimaev is the real deal. Yahoo Sports’ Dan Wetzel reports that the UFC is close to finalizing Wolf vs. Wonderboy, Chimaev vs. Stephen Thompson, in the main event of a show in November, after the league has returned from the series on Fight Island.
“Per sources, UFC is close to booking sensation Khamzat Chimaev v. Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson likely in Vegas in November,” tweeted the ever-reliable Wetzel. “Major step up in competition for Khamzat, who would be headliner in just his 4th UFC fight.”
https://twitter.com/DanWetzel/status/1312057456189677569
Thompson, 37, is currently ranked #5 in the division. In 2016-2017 he had a Majority Draw and a Majority Decision with then welterweight champion Tyron Woodley. Thompson most recently defeated Vicente Luque in the Fight of the Night at UFC 244 in November of 2019, breaking a two-fight skid with losses to Darren Till and Anthony Pettis.
It’s entirely possible that with a win over “Wonderboy” Chimaev would get a title shot. It’s entirely speculative thus far, with a win in the title shot, UFC president Dana White would be right when he said, “This guy is one of the most special fighters I’ve ever seen, if not the most special guy that I’ve ever come across.
