I really don't even know what to say about Khamzat Chimaev anymore. Much like the Makhachev vs Hooker predicition, I was right but I was also very wrong. I said that Chimaev would win, which he did, but I also said Li Jingliang would push him farther than we've seen, which he most definitely did not. I thought Jingliang's striking would at least allow us to see how Chimaev takes a punch, but we couldn't even get that much. Jingliang started off the fight by telegraphing a wild right hand that Chimaev easily identified before changing levels, dipping under the punch, and grabbing ahold of Jingliang. He would carry him towards his corner before dumping him to the mat while yelling something at Dana White, who was sitting cage side. As I've said many times, I am not a fighter or a fight analyst. I've never trained and am most certainly not a master of techniques. However, even I know that the last thing Jingliang should have done is throw big, wild shots that would give Chimaev the perfect opportunity to take him down. Not only is that exactly what Jingliang did, it was the first and only thing he did. The rest of the fight consisted of Chimaev punishing Jingliang with some strikes on the ground and beating him to the next position until he could take Jingliang's back and finish the rear naked choke by putting Jingliang to sleep. Jingliang will slide down the rankings, while Chimaev will enter them at least at Jingliang's previous number 11 spot.
I'll start with what's next for Jingliang since it will be a little shorter. I don't think after that performance that Jingliang is even guaranteed to face a ranked opponent in his next fight. It's possible that he ends up as the matchup for someone like Sean Brady or Daniel Rodriguez. No one is like Chimaev on the ground in that weight class, but if that fight was any evidence Brady would also be a poor match up for Jingliang. Brady has a fight in a couple of weeks, so the timeline's could potentially align, but it's unclear if that matchup would actually be desired or pursued. Rodriguez would get rid of the wrestling problem for Jingliang, but I think Rodriguez could overwhelm him in much the same way a volume striker like Neil Magny does, someone Jingliang has already lost to. With him dropping to at least 12, he may have to fight someone outside the rankings and I'm not going to outline every possible option and that's not why you're here anyways, so I'm not going to beat around the bush any longer.
We're really all here to talk about how high Chimaev goes in his next fight. He was already booked against Leon Edwards before his issues with COVID, but I don't think that fight was a good idea as they could have really stunted Chimaev's growth, similar to what we've seen happen to Edmen Shahbazyan. By now, you've probably heard the rumors and conversations surrounding a potential fight with Nate Diaz. I'm glad that there's been so much public push back on this because no one wants to see this fight. Nate Diaz is a fan favorite and we know that Chimaev would take Nate down and beat him in a way that no one wants to see Nate beaten at this point. We all know that this is what the UFC will try to push as Diaz is on the last fight of his deal and if he's going to walk away from the UFC for another opportunity, they will try to make a name off of him on his way out. The fight would most definitely sell, which is another reason the UFC would want it, but I just don't think this is necessary at all. Diaz is 36 years old and has taken a lot of damage in his career. Giving him a much younger and much more physically dominant opponent is both literally and figuratively "feeding him to the wolves" or "the wolf" in this case.
I don't like shooting down ideas without providing potential solutions and that's sort of what I do in these posts anyways, so if not Nate Diaz, then who? The first name that came to mind is Neil Magny. Magny has not been shy about calling Chimaev out, which is something no one else was doing up until he entered the rankings. Belal Muhammad posted a text exchange with his manager where he shows a message suggesting he would fight Chimaev. Geoff Neal is booked for December, but depending on how he fairs, he may be an option. If he requires a long layoff, then it is probably unlikely because we know Chimaev likes to stay active. Michael Chiesa is fighting Sean Brady in a couple of weeks, so if he comes out victorious, then that could also be an option. Neal has sort of struggled lately, so even with a win over Santiago Ponzinibbio in December, I don't know if that's really something the UFC or anyone else would have much interest in. While Magny has been aggressive in pursuing the Chimaev fight, with the way we saw him get controlled by Chiesa in the wrestling department, I'm not sure that makes for the best matchup either. Belal Muhammad is a little more interesting as he's someone who has a little more wrestling acumen. Obviously, Belal isn't Khabib or anything, but he may be good enough to cause Chimaev some resistance and force him into a standup battle. Belal was able to deny Demian Maia takedowns in their fight, so there's at least reason to believe he could hold off Chimaev for a little. To me, the most compelling fight would be against Chiesa. Chiesa is someone who would best be able to rival Chimaev's wrestling other than champion Kamaru Usman and number one contender Colby Covington. A fight where Chimaev could be forced to stay on his feet or at least would potentially have any easier time on his feet would definitely be compelling to me. We would get to see just how good his wrestling is and how his cardio would hold up in the intense wrestling exchanges and scrambles that a fight with Chiesa would likely provide.
If I'm looking a little deeper into the future, a matchup with Stephen Thompson would also really peak my interest just because Wonderboy's style is so unique. He has often been a tough test for guys just because he's a one of a kind type of fighter. He's tough to fight and equally tough to prepare for because it's hard to find someone like him to train against. Gilbert Burns would also present a different challenge for Chimaev given his high level jiu-jitsu skills. However, I think Chimaev needs another win over the guys in the previous paragraph before he breaks into the top 5, but that's just my opinion. With all that said, what do you guys think of Chimaev's performance? How far can he go before some makes him really work for a win? How many wins away from a title shot is he? Also, what's next for Li Jingliang? What does he need to get back into the win column and continue his pursuit of a title opportunity? Thanks for reading and leave a comment below.
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