Credit:Getty/UFC
Credit: Getty/UFC
Alexander
Gustafsson believes that Allstars Training Center teammate
Khamzat
Chimaev has the potential to be a legend in the sport.
“[Khabib
Nurmagomedov], [Georges St.
Pierre], that’s the level of potential, 100 percent,”
Gustafsson said in an interview with ESPN. “If he does
all the things, if he does it right from the start, if he just
keeps doing what he’s doing now, he will be one of those guys one
day. I’m 100 percent sure of that….
“I met a lot of MMA athletes and fighters and all that, and he
stands out for sure, because of his dedication, because of how he
out-trains everybody. There’s nobody that trains like him, nobody.
I haven’t seen it and I have been around the world, seen fighters
train and having their camps and training for a fight. This guy
just doesn’t get tired. He doesn’t feel any pain, he just goes
through it.”
Chimaev rose to promimence thanks to a trio of dominant victories
within the Las Vegas-based promotion in 2020, as he overwhelmed the
likes of John
Phillips, Rhys McKee
and Gerald
Meerschaert. A battle with COVID-19 delayed his ascent, but
Chimaev alleviated any concerns regarding his ability to bounce
back when he submitted Jingliang
Li in the opening round of their bout at UFC 267 this past
October.
Expectations are once again sky high for Chimaev heading into 2022,
and many anticipate taht the 27-year-old will contend for the UFC
welterweight title by the end of the year. Gustafsson, for one,
believes Chimaev could already do more than hold his own with
reigning 170-pound champ Kamaru
Usman.
“I think he’d put Kamaru Usman to sleep honestly,” Gustafsson said.
“I think if he just touches his chin, it’s a big chance that Kamaru
Usman goes to sleep. I like Kamaru Usman, he’s a great champ, and
he’s just been breaking records and it’s a pleasure to see him
fight because he’s very good, technical, I love his jab and his
wrestling and you can see that he’s on top, Kamaru Usman, but I
just can’t see him take Khamzat’s punches…
“His striking is very — he hits like a light heavyweight. He hits
hard. He’s very explosive. He boxes very fast with his hands and
with speed comes power and good precision. If you don’t keep your
head, I’ve seen this guy knock people out with just a jab in
training.”
If Chimaev’s career unfolds the way Gustafsson thinks it will, his
star will only continue to grow. With that comes pressure, but the
former UFC title challenger doesn’t think his teammate will succumb
to the weight of expectations.
“It comes with a lot of responsibility. It’s not an easy task to
make everyone happy, all the fans, everyone just wants to see him
do his things. It comes with a lot of pressure and if you can’t
handle it, it can make you fold,” Gustafsson said. “But this guy
Khamzat, it’s like he doesn’t take it too personal or he just
doesn’t understand what it is, he just keeps going with a
smile.
“This guy has too much focus, too much tunnel vision to do anything
else than just train, train his ass off, everyday.”