Khamzat Chimaev is perhaps so dominant in welterweight, middleweight and light heavyweight that he must experience a legendary lightweight to be challenged.
This is, according to his best friend Darren Till, who looked at full awe while his teammate Dric Du Plessis has shifted with a five -round shutout on UFC 319 to become a middleweight champion. It has led to conversations about a movement up to 205LB where Magomed Ankalaev prevails, or a movement back to 170LB.
Till, however, believes that the only realistic challenger for Chimaev is the record -breaking former lightweight champion Islam Makhachev. The Russian is currently preparing for a switch to Welterweight to face Jack della Maddalena for a second belt and could eventually make a super fight with Chimaev.
Darren Till believes that Islam Makhachev is the only challenge of Khamzat Chimaev
Darren Till was unable to put Khamzat Chimaev in the corner for his world title fight while preparing himself for his own Miscevits-boxing Headliner against Luke Rockhold, who takes place this Saturday on Pay-per-View. But he looked and believed that there are currently no challengers of 170-205 pounds for his teammate.
“There may be a few hunters who are going on, but there is no one at the moment,” Till Bloody Elbow said in an exclusive chat. “I think there are better fights for him at 170LB, perhaps Islam [Makhachev] Or something.
“If Islam goes to 170 pounds, that's a good fight, Ankalaev is the champion at 205LB, but I think he beats Ankalaev. I think Islam is a hard fight for him, really.”
Darren Till responds to the stunning UFC 319 -victory of Khamzat Chimaev
Till was impressed to see that his former opponent Du Plessis completely dominated in five rounds of Chimaev, who extended his undefeated run with a victory to 15-0. And he rubbed the criticism of his friend's inability to even go to a finish everywhere.
Photo by Geoff Stellfox/Getty images
“His wrestling is hardly,” until he gushed. “The way he puts it all together is phenomenal, you can't accuse it in any way. I have spoken to him a bit, he is gone to lead his best life in Dubai and I am sure I will see him if I am good, I am sure he will watch Saturday.
“I thought it was brilliant of a wrestling aspect, I thought it was technical, he did everything he had to do to win and it was brilliant, I loved to look at it. You can't always get the finish and he is now the champion so let's look at who can overthrow him.”