ABU DHABI – Khamzat Chimaev sees himself as a new and improved version of Kamaru Usman.
Chimaev (12-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) welcomes former welterweight champion Usman (20-3 MMA, 15-2 UFC) to the middleweight division in Saturday’s UFC 294 co-headliner at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. The main card airs on pay-per-view at a special time of 2 p.m. ET following prelims on ESPN+.
Chimaev was originally scheduled to face Paulo Costa, but the Brazilian withdrew because of a staph infection on his elbow. Chimaev likes that he’s now facing Usman – someone who’s been on his radar for a while now.
“Of course, because since Day 1 I get to the UFC, everyone spoke about Khamzat, Usman, Khamzat, Usman,” Chimaev told MMA Junkie and other reporters through an interpreter at Wednesday’s media day. “Our wrestling skills, our striking, all of these things. Usman is a fighter like me, but he’s the old version, I’m new, different. Like iPhones come out, he’s iPhone 5. I’m like Pro. It’s different.”
Usman will attempt to bounce Chimaev out of the ranks of the unbeaten but had less than two weeks to prepare. It’s a tough task for Usman, but Chimaev thinks he only took the fight for the money.
“The guy comes just to make money,” Chimaev said. “It’s a lot of money put on that. I think he gets a lot of good money when somebody fights me. It’s different-level money. So that’s why he’s here. Of course, he comes for win, everyone comes to a fight to win, and he has already excuses. He’s getting paid.
“So I think that’s why he comes. Everyone here, a lot of guys talk about, ‘My my history, this belt, this sh*t,’ when somebody put the money you know, millions, one day everyone will forget about that, but the guy is going to have his money for his family. That’s why he’s here, I think.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 294.
