Khamzat Chimaev has been absolutely dominant in one area since he first arrived in the UFC.
The undefeated contender is set to compete in his first UFC title fight next month in Chicago.
For many, it’s the wrestling and submission threat of Chimaev that will give him an early advantage against Dricus du Plessis at UFC 319 on August 16.
His incredibly difficult-to-prepare-for style was on full display in his last outing at UFC 308 where Chimaev finished Robert Whittaker in the first round.
Another one of the division’s most dangerous grapplers, Reinier de Ridder, hopes to produce a similar performance this weekend, which could set up a meeting between him and ‘Borz’ down the line.
Robert Valentin believes that Reinier de Ridder would win the grappling exchanges against Khamzat Chimaev
A middleweight matchup between Khamzat Chimaev and Reinier de Ridder would be a treat for grappling fans due to the specialist skillsets that both men bring to the table.
They’ve both had success with their striking inside the Octagon but there’s no denying that they do their best work once the fight hits the floor.
Chimaev’s wrestling has been incredibly dominant, but with de Ridder being known for his incredibly crafty and creative submission game, ‘RDR’ could pose the undefeated star some interesting problems.
In a recent interview with Bloody Elbow, Robert Valentin praised multiple aspects of de Ridder’s game, having trained with ‘The Dutch Knight’ in the past.
Valentin made the bold prediction ahead of time that if ‘RDR’ ever crosses paths with Chimaev, the Dutchman would do more than hold his own in the grappling.
“His ground skills are unmatched in the UFC and I’ll make this call right now. I think even against Khamzat Chimaev, he would win the grappling exchanges. Maybe not the majority of the wrestling exchanges, but the grappling exchanges and I think that’s going to again make the difference in the [Robert] Whittaker fight.”
Khamzat Chimaev weighed in with his thoughts on Reinier de Ridder’s fight with Robert Whittaker
Reinier de Ridder knows that in order to position himself for a title shot, he needs to do more than just beat Robert Whittaker at UFC Abu Dhabi.
Khamzat Chimaev recently shared his thoughts on the July 26 main event and made sure to warn ‘RDR’ that it won’t be easy to put ‘The Reaper’ away in style like he did at UFC 308.
“It will be a good fight, tough fight, and both guys are good fighters. I think the other guy is more of a wrestler, a grappler. He’s going to try to take him down and submit. Robert is not that easy of an opponent like everyone thinks. I got the chance, I [did] damage fast but it’s not that easy opponent like everyone thinks. So, it will be fun to watch that fight.”
With several big middleweight matchups set to take place over the next few months, the division is set for some significant changes at the top of the rankings.