Jared Cannonier has given his thoughts on Khamzat Chimaev, labelling him as the second coming of former two-division UFC champion Conor McGregor.
McGregor made a blistering start to his UFC career, winning three out of his first four fights by first round TKO and becoming a superstar in no time. Chimaev has had a very similar start to his UFC career, winning all four of his fights in the promotion with a hundred percent finishing rate. He’s also amassed millions of followers on his social media platforms.
Chimaev, who competes at both welterweight and middleweights, wants to follow in the footsteps of McGregor and become a two-division champion simultaneously.
Jared Cannonier On Khamzat Chimaev
Speaking to LowKick MMA (as transcribed by MMA News), Cannonier outlined the similarities and differences between Chimaev and McGregor.
“You know, [he’s a] hot prospect right now. Dana’s pretty hot on him, and from what he’s shown in the Octagon, the dude looks like the second coming of Conor McGregor,” Cannonier said. “But I don’t even like to make that comparison because he is his own self, he is his own man, and he’s doing his own thing. I tip my hat to the man. He’s doing a good job… If he comes up to ’85 that’d be cool too. The more the merrier as far as I’m concerned.”
Chimaev most recently fought at UFC 267, where he submitted Li Jingliang in the first round. McGregor is coming off back to back losses at the hands of Dustin Poirier at UFC 257, where he was knocked out in the first round, and at UFC 264, where he lost by a doctor’s stoppage after he broke his tibia seconds before the end of the first round.
The Chechen-Swede wants to fight Gilbert Burns next, while McGregor is eyeing a title fight against lightweight champion Charles Oliveira upon his return this summer.
Do you agree with Jared Cannonier that Khamzat Chimaev is the second coming of Conor McGregor?
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