Khamzat
Chimaev might not have been at 100% for the majority of his
fight against Kamaru
Usman in the
UFC 294 co-main event.
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After a dominant opening stanza, Chimaev held on for a hard-fought
majority decision triumph over the former welterweight champion at
Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on Saturday. After the victory, “Borz”
told
ESPN that he believes he broke his hand in the opening
frame.
“First round, I think I broke my hand and finger,” Chimaev said. “I
couldn’t punch hard with right hand. My right hand is a big weapon.
When you can’t use it, it’s hard to work.”
Chimaev, who was making his 185-pound debut, is expected to receive
a title shot against Sean
Strickland by virtue of his win over Usman. First, the
undefeated fighter will have to make sure his hand is good to
go.
“I will check my hand,” Chimaev said. “If it’s good, I’m gonna try
to lift the weights and be ready for the next one.”