Russian fighter Eduard Vartanyan shared his insights in an exclusive interview with Telecomasia.net regarding a potential fight between Islam Makhachev and Khamzat Chimaev in the UFC.
Eduard Vartanyan exclusively for Telecom Asia Sport
I wonder how Khamzat plans to make weight. Maybe he should just move to the lightweight division to fight Ilia Topuria? Of course, if he makes weight and feels comfortable, then Chimaev is the favorite due to his size. He is very large for this weight class; we've already seen his fights in the welterweight division. However, we've also seen that he has struggled with weight cuts. It's possible that the weight cut could exhaust him so much that he won't be fit for the fight. In that case, his size won't help. But I don't believe he'll drop down to welterweight. It's much more likely that he'll move up to light heavyweight.
The fight between Islam Makhachev and Jack Della Maddalena for the welterweight title is scheduled for November 15 at UFC 322 in New York. Makhachev's record stands at 27 wins and one loss.
Khamzat Chimaev is set to fight Dricus Du Plessis on August 17 at UFC 319 in Chicago. The Chechen athlete holds a record of 14 wins and no losses.
