UFC’s most exciting rising, Khamzat Chimaev, has branded Paulo Costa a ‘chicken’ and warned he will ‘smash’ Israel Adesanya. Chimaev is undefeated and has been utterly dominant in three UFC fights so far, earning him a December 19 showdown with British welterweight Leon Edwards.
But the 26-year-old also competes at middleweight and claims he will be the man to dethrone Adesanya when the time comes. The Nigerian-born New Zealander demolished Costa at UFC 253 last month, but Chimaev was not impressed by the challenger.
“I think Paulo Costa was scared in the Israel Adesanya fight,’ he told Dan Hardy.
“I don’t know why people are scared to go in the cage. In the gym everybody is tough with hard sparring then come to the cage and be a chicken. I don’t understand this mentality.
“Adesanya is good in the stand-up but to be honest, nobody wrestled against him. [Against] Yoel Romero he did only three to four punches of stand-up.
“I can beat this guy. How will he get up from under me if I take him down? I don’t think he can, I’m going to beat his face.’
Chimaev has been praised by UFC president Dana White as ‘special’ and the Russian-born Swede has gained incredible momentum with fans in a short space of time.
His aggressive style and dominant performances combined with a softly spoken menace outside the octagon has driven him to a huge fight so early in his UFC career.
Edwards is ranked No 3 in the welterweight division and marks a huge step up for Chimaev in the level of opponent.
But his confidence is soaring and there is no doubt in his mind he can beat anybody, in almost any weight division. He added: “When I started MMA, I always thought I would be a champion in the UFC. When a fighter looks at me in the cage I see how much he wants it and how much I want it.
“I am born for fighting. When I watch war films or like vikings or something, I think it is how I am in the cage, go to kill somebody and take my gold.
“I even think I can fight at light-heavyweight, anyone has to kill me to win the fight. My future is to smash everybody, soon I’m going to get this belt.”
