Khamzat Chimaev has claimed he will face the winner of Kamaru Usman's title defence against Leon Edwards after he fights Nate Diaz.
Chimaev has become one of the UFC's most prominent stars in recent months and moved up to third position in the UFC's 170lb rankings with victory over Gilbert Burns. The Chechen star is hoping to throw himself into a shot at Usman's crown with victory over Diaz at UFC 279 on September 10.
One of the fighters who could rival Chimaev for a title shot is McGregor who is plotting a switch to 170lb. Meanwhile, Chimaev has admitted he could even move up to middleweight if Usman is unable to meet him for the belt. I don't need to fight with Nate Diaz," Chimaev said when assessing his future during an appearance on The MMA Hour. "If I wanted to wait, this is going to take a long time.
"Usman fights one time in one year now. He has everything. He has money. He is pound-for-pound No.1. That's why he wants to wait. You know like, he takes a long time, he doesn't want to lose his belts. If (Kamaru) Usman wanna wait a long time, maybe I’m going to go up to 184lb and fight somebody there – because I want to take both belts."
Chimaev has likely positioned himself at the front of the queue for a title shot, with McGregor's comeback also expected to be delayed until early next year. The Swedish fighter will first need to negotiate the test of Nate Diaz who he has agreed to face in October.
Diaz has just one fight remaining on his current deal with the UFC and will come into the contest as significant underdog, with many expecting Chimaev to prevail and move on to a title shot. Meanwhile McGregor is yet to confirm an opponent for his uncertain comeback, having only just made a full return to MMA training.
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When previously discussing his UFC future, McGregor has indicated he will likely make a switch to 170lb after putting on significant weight during his recovery from a broken leg injury. He has also claimed that he would likely to be thrown in at the deep end in an immediate title clash with Usman, when he does make a comeback to the octagon.
McGregor has claimed he sees no danger in fighting Usman if he is handed a shot at becoming the UFC's first three-weight champion. “I’ve already won the 155lb title," he told The Mac Life. "I got myself down to a lightweight frame, but I’m big now. I feel confident against Usman. A jab happy, sloppy, orthodox wrestler with no submissions whatsoever. What’s he going to do? Where’s the danger here? I don’t see a danger with him. His ground-and-pound isn’t strong, plus he’s on the older side."
