UFC sensation Khamzat Chimaev is a man on a mission and nothing – including some bulky training equipment – seems like getting in his way.
The Chechen-born Chimaev appears to be fully recovered from the lingering effects of Covid-19 which forced his much-anticipated welterweight bout with Leon Edwards to be postponed again in January.
The pair are set for a rescheduled showdown on March 13, and Chimaev has been ramping up his preparations – as evidenced by some intimidating training footage shared recently.
In the clip, the 26-year-old is seen driving a heavy bag into the ground, eventually destroying it so badly that the insides come spilling out.
“I smash people, I smash this bag, I smash everything,” Chimaev says.
In an ominous warning to Edwards and his other UFC rivals, the undefeated star adds: “I want to take his head. I have nine right now, but soon I’ll have 10. Then we’ll continue collecting more.”
As he pounds away on a treadmill, Chimaev assures fans that “my lungs are good” after concerns over the effects from his Covid diagnosis.
Chimaev, who fights out of the Allstars Gym in Swedish capital Stockholm, exploded onto the UFC scene with three wins in the space of just 66 days last year.
Chimaev’s bid to maintain his spectacular upwards ascent will continue with his toughest assignment to date against welterweight contender Edwards.
The Brit known as 'Rocky' is on an eight-fight winning streak but has not fought since defeating Rafael dos Anjos in July of 2019.
As his stature has grown in the UFC, so has the target on Chimaev’s back – and one man now gunning for the Russian-born fighter is American veteran Neil Magny.
Magny faced Michael Chiesa in the headline bout at UFC on ESPN 20 in January, the card which was initially supposed to feature Chimaev vs Edwards before the bout was pushed back.
After Chimaev mocked Magny over his unanimous decision defeat, the American fired back with a warning that he would “slap him on sight” if the pair crossed paths.
Make sure you keep that same energy when you see me in person! I'll give you my word, that I'm slaaping you on sight 👋 and teaching some respect!
Magny continued to taunt Chimaev by claiming he doesn't "hand-pick opponents" like the Russian-born star supposedly does, also suggesting Chimaev had ducked a bout between the pair.
I don't hand pick opponents like you do, I've fought the best guys in the UFC for the 8 years. Something you know nothing about.
The prospect of 'Borz' dodging an opponent seems somewhat implausible considering the Swedish star's assertions that he will fight anyone and everyone in his bid for the top.
And while it may have been delayed, Chimaev's mission is still very much on – with a rag-dolled heavy bag further proof of that.
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