UFC 319: Khamzat Chimaev media day interview
UFC 319 headliner Khamzat Chimaev spoke to MMA Junkie and reporters at media day for his middleweight title shot vs. Dricus Du Plessis in Chicago.
CHICAGO – Khamzat Chimaev might have designs on multiple titles some day, but until he gets the first one, there’s no counting chickens, it seems.
Chimaev (14-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) gets his shot at UFC greatness Saturday in the UFC 319 (pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+) main event at United Center in Chicago when he challenges champion Dricus Du Plessis (23-2 MMA, 9-0 UFC) for the middleweight title.
Chimaev would be the 15th fighter in UFC history to win a title while unbeaten. And Chimaev is the betting favorite as the challenger, which is rare, though it does happen. But the stars, many seem to think, have been aligned for Chimaev to win the belt.
Given he has fought at welterweight before – though with some infamous struggles – there always will be a threat for him to try for a belt in a second division.
In fact, Chimaev said he’s not even thinking about what will happen Saturday, let alone if he wins the title and wants to go to welterweight.
“I don’t know (how the fight will go). We’ll see in the cage. It’s too early to think about these things,” Chimaev told MMA Junkie and other reporters at the UFC 319 media day Wednesday. “When I see his face, then it’s different.”
A title win would mean Chimaev is likely to ask for a spot when the UFC returns to Abu Dhabi in October. He said the idea of who his first potential challenger could be isn’t something he’s thinking about.
“After the fight, we’ll see what’s going on. Let’s first focus on this guy, and after that, we’ll see,” Chimaev said.
Chimaev earned his title shot with a first-round brutal submission of former champion Robert Whittaker 10 months ago. He also holds wins over ex-welterweight champion Kamaru Usman in what is considered his toughest challenge.
Champ Du Plessis is seeking his third defense after a submission of former champs Israel Adesanya and, in a rematch, Sean Strickland. He hasn’t lost in nearly seven years.
Check out Chimaev’s full media day interview in the video above.
