Khamzat Chimaev would take skills from former two-division UFC champions Conor McGregor and Alex Pereira to create the perfect fighter.
Chimaev is currently deep into fight week for his first UFC title shot, which comes on American soil at Chicago’s United Center on Saturday, August 16.
‘Borz’ is tasked with doing something no one has achieved in the promotion to date — beat Dricus du Plessis. Chimaev will challenge Du Plessis at UFC 319, as the pair top an intriguing lineup that also features the likes of Michael ‘Venom’ Page, Jared Cannonier, Carlos Prates, Kai Asakura, Aaron Pico, Lerone Murphy, and Edson Barboza.
Aside from himself, however, none of the other names set to compete at UFC 319 would make Chimaev’s ‘ultimate UFC fighter’.
Khamzat Chimaev wants Alex Pereira’s leg kicks and Conor McGregor’s mic skills
Amid the barrage of questions PPV headliners receive regarding their opponent, plans for the fight, and future ambitions, Chimaev recently took some time to address a more light-hearted topic days out from UFC 319.
During an interview with TNT Sports, the middleweight title challenger was asked for his picks in a number of categories to build the perfect fighter.
Chimaev chose himself for power, wrestling, and chin, but selected different stars for the four other categories. While GOAT contender Demetrious Johnson was picked for his fight IQ, bantamweight king Merab Dvalishvili’s renowned cardio unsurprisingly made the cut.
There were also spots for two figures inside the two-division champ club — Alex Pereira and Conor McGregor. The Brazilian was picked by Chimaev for his leg kicks, but it was the Irishman’s work on the microphone rather than in-cage ability that netted him a role.
Khamzat Chimaev said he would finish Alex Pereira in one round
Had his plans come to fruition in 2023, Chimaev could have experienced Pereira’s renowned leg kicks first-hand.
After Chimaev tore through Holland at UFC 279, the Chechen star’s expected middleweight move left him suddenly targeting a different champion.
Just weeks before Israel Adesanya took the middleweight crown back, Chimaev confidently predicted his potential Pereira fight, claiming he would need only one round to put ‘Poatan’ away.
“He’s the most easy fight for me in the UFC,” Chimaev said during an appearance on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani. “(Easiest) in my career, brother.
“First round, first minute,” he continued. “Easy. No punch, nothing.”